Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray
Isn't Swat, Dir, Chitral also Shia predominant?
If so, then wouldn't it be easier to draw the line beyond which the limit would be taken as crossed and the PA better poised emotionally to take them on seriously and thus effectively, they being Shias and given the above commentary?
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What a mess, is my first thought at reading that - what a mess he created and what seeds of evil that vile Zia sowed in Pakistan.
Mullah Fazlullah is the imprisoned TNSM leader, Sufi Mohammed, son in law. Sufi Mohammed was the gent who led thousands of volunteers to their deaths in Afghanistan after the invasion. As you can see, the organization has very strong ties to the Taliban, as also evidenced by the Arabs and other foreign Al Qaeda types being arrested and killed there and by the messages of support being issued by Taliban leaders for Mullah FM. As such they would be an extreme Sunni group, and therefore the premise that the "limits" set by the PA are of a manner that allows for the majority Sunni sect in the army to undertake operations with more fervor, against the Shia, is flawed.
I will have to check whether Swat is primarily Shia. Off hand I don't believe so, and the events in Swat would seem to justify this -
- The existence of the TNSM and its ability to raise thousands of volunteers would indicate a heavy Sunni presence.
- The relative sectarian harmony (no major sectarian conflicts such as those in Parachinar mentioned by the author), despite the presence of such a virulent Sunni org. would seem to indicate a low Shia population.