From The New York Times:MARDAN, Pakistan — For the past month and a half, the Pakistani military has claimed success in retaking the Swat Valley from the Taliban, clawing back its own territory from insurgents who only a short time ago were extending their reach toward the heartland of the country.
Yet from a helicopter flying low over the valley last week, the low-rise buildings of Mingora, the largest city in Swat, now deserted and under a 24-hour curfew, appeared unscathed. In the surrounding countryside, farmers had harvested wheat and red onions on their unscarred land.
All that is testament to the fact that the Taliban mostly melted away without a major fight, possibly to return when the military withdraws or to fight elsewhere, military analysts say. About two million people have been displaced in Swat and the surrounding area as the military has carried out its campaign.
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My Comment: In past battles with the Taliban, the Pakistani government publicized great battles, claimed numerous casualties, and boasted that they had significantly degraded the enemy. But when reporters were allowed to enter the restricted combat zones and start to interview local residents .... they found this to be all a lie. Worse, they found out that the peace agreements that were made with the Taliban only gave them more control and influence within these regions.
Is the same thing happening again ... it looks like that this is the case. If the Pakistani military continues their campaign into the Taliban strongholds of South Waziristan, I will have to say that this is the real deal. If they stop .... the entire two months has just been a propaganda exercise done for the benefit of the West.
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