AfPak war depopulates and devastates north-west Pakistan
By James Cogan
1 June 2009
A little over a month ago, the Pakistani government acquiesced to the demands of the Obama administration to use brute force to eradicate radical Islamist influence in the north-west of the country, as part of the so-called AfPak war to secure American interests in Central Asia. The human cost and long-term political consequences are now becoming clear.
The Pakistani military claimed over the weekend that it had largely shattered the armed opposition in the Swat Valley, Lower Dir and Buner districts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
The pivotal victory has been the seizure of Mingora, the largest city in the Swat Valley. After a week or more of fighting, Pakistani troops reportedly control most of the central business district and the surrounding suburbs. Military spokesmen claim that after the insurgents lost 286 dead, the survivors escaped and have shaved off their trade-mark beards so as to melt into the civilian population.
Journalists and camera crews have been given controlled access to Mingora since Wednesday and been able to file both print and video reports on the state of the city. Al Jazeerah footage, for example, showed abandoned streets apart from Pakistani troops, and numerous damaged or destroyed buildings where the Islamist fighters had allegedly manned firing positions.
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http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/jun2009/paki-j01.shtml