Local clans agree to form a militia to expel Al Qaeda and Taliban from tribal lands. Hundreds of colorful turbans dot the vista as tribesmen dance to the beat of drums, heralding an agreement to form a 600-strong tribal force to hunt “foreign terrorists” in this remote corner of Pakistan. The semiautonomous region of Waziristan is the focus of a push by Pakistani forces, in coordination with US troops across the border in Afghanistan, to round up or kill suspected Al Qaeda and Taliban guerrillas, including Osama bin Laden, who is believed to be in the area. The new tribal posse represents a last ditch effort by local chiefs to save face and preserve their long-held autonomy by preempting further Pakistani military and paramilitary operations in the region. If successful, the strategy could diffuse the potentially explosive resentment among tribesmen unused to the government’s deployments. But giving the lead to a tribal force may subject the increasingly urgent US and Pakistani dragnet to new delays. Full Story
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