Pakistan: This sounds good but

I don’t know how much stock to put in a Strategy Page report which begins:

Pakistan may not be winning its war with Islamic radicalism, but at least it is now fighting harder. …

After a review of the history of tribal conflicts and tensions in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, the influence of Muslim radicals and a summary of recent fighting the Strategy Page report ends on a somewhat hopeful note:

Much of the violence involving the Taliban is basically sectarian, with the non-Taliban tribesmen resisting the lifestyle rules (no music, video, booze, shaving and so on) the Taliban insist on imposing.

The Taliban are seen, by most tribesmen, as a bunch of sanctimonious bullies. The government agrees with that, and is eager to arrange a coalition of tribes that are willing to shut the Taliban down.

This is difficult to do, what with the current popularity of the Islamic radicals. But as has happened many times in the past, the Islamic radicals eventually turn too many people against them with their violence, and failure to accomplish anything useful.

That's what's happening to the Islamic radicals in Pakistan and Afghanistan. While the Afghan group has drug money to keep them going, the Pakistani bunch are running out of options and local support.

The entire article is here.

A lot of smart people read this blog. Do any of you know something about what's going on in what used to be called "the Northwest border area?"

There doesn't seem to be anyone in the MSM who knows what's happening there.

My impression is the MSMers depend on second-hand feed from Pakistani military and government officials; and then start their "filtering process," after which they pass on to us reports which should carry “dated” and “dodgy” labels.


Hat tip: Instapundit