India-Pakistan: All Chaotic on the Western Front

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December 13, 2005: The Pakistani army has shifted resources, and attention, to the east, to the earthquake disaster zone near the Indian border and Kashmir. This has allowed Islamic radicals in the tribal areas along the Afghan border to come out and rebuild their organization. The Islamic radicals are again terrorizing towns and villages (demanding "correct" Islamic behavior, or else), and intimidating tribal chiefs. The Islamic radical groups are getting ready for another round of fighting when the army goes on the offensive again, which everyone expects.

December 12, 2005: In eastern India, Maoist rebels have been clashing with police more often, leaving at least two rebels dead in the last week. Maoists have been using landmines against motorized police patrols, and continue to terrorize rural villagers into supporting the radcial communists.

December 10, 2005: The minority Shia community in Quetta, Pakistan, near the Afghan border, has been unable to get much help from the police, despite nine Shia having been murdered so far this year by Sunni Islamic radicals. The Islamic radicals are powerful in this part of Pakistan, and the police don't want to take them on unless they have to. The Islamic radicals believe Shia Moslems are heretics, and want to convert them to the Sunni sect, or kill them all, or at least drive them away.

December 8, 2005: It's been a rough week in the tribal territories of Pakistan, along the Afghan border. A dozen people died when a bomb went off in a market place in the town of Jandola. It's not known if this attack was caused criminal, tribal or religious groups. In the same area, a tribal dispute (over money and illegal roadblocks) left 17 dead. Two soldiers were kidnapped and killed as well. It's a rough neighborhood.

 

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