Winning the hearts and minds of the people
Adnkronos: A suicide bomber struck a hotel restaurant in Pakistan’s volatile northwest on Thursday, killing at least 10 people including pro-government fighters opposed to the country’s top Taliban commander, intelligence officials said. Officials said at least 18 others were injured in the attack that took place early Thursday just outside the South Waziristan tribal region near the town of Tank.According to a local official quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan, a young boy in his late twenties entered the Risaldar hotel and blew himself up himself as people were eating. The Pakistani government has reportedly encouraged various leaders in the region to set up armed militias, sometimes called ‘Peace Committees,’ to counter the Taliban.South Waziristan is the stronghold of Baitullah Mehsud, the top leader of the Pakistani Taliban. Some media reports said the bombing was the result of a long-running rivalry between Baitullah Mehsud and pro-government militias in South Waziristan.
I wonder if this attack was the handiwork of the less moderate faction of the two Talibans, that President .B.O. was thinking about entering into dialogue with?
