Pakistan Civil War News -- June 29, 2010

Peshawar Bracing For Taliban Fight -- UPI

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, June 28 (UPI) -- Provincial leaders near the Afghan border are preparing to drive the Taliban out of the area, the information minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said.

Mian Iftikhar, the information minister, said provincial forces were bracing themselves to take strong action as the Taliban move to consolidate their presence in the area, the Daily Times newspaper in Pakistani reports.

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More News On Pakistan's War Against The Taliban

Taliban planning major attack on Peshawar -- Daily Times
Threat of terrorist attack in Peshawar -- Dawn
Pak provincial government calls for emergency army action in Peshawar -- One India
Taliban planning massive strike in Peshawar, warns Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister -- Sify News
Military, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa officials meet on security -- Dawn
Peshawar bracing for Taliban fight -- Polijam Times

Qaeda Figure Is Reported Killed in Pakistan -- New York Times
10 militants including Al Qaeda members killed in drone strike -- Hindustan Times
US drone strikes kill eight suspected militants in South Waziristan -- Sify News
Security Brief: Petraeus supports Pakistan role in Afghan dialogue -- CNN
Accidental truck blast kills 18 in Pakistan -- AP
Pakistan poised to vote on restricting media -- BBC
Explosive mood in Pakistan -- Syed Saleem Shahzad, Asia Times

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- June 9, 2010

Pakistan Has Driven Militants From All But One Region, Says Army -- The Telegraph

The officer spearheading Pakistan's fight against the Taliban says his forces are close to driving militants from all but one of the country's lawless tribal regions that border Afghanistan.

Major General Tariq Khan, Inspector General of the Frontier Scouts, who have provided law and order since colonial times, said he would wind down major operations within the next two months.

He said it would leave only North Waziristan – a rugged, mountainous region that has drawn Jihadi groups from across Pakistan – in the hands of the militants.

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Militants attack NATO convoy in Pakistan; 7 killed -- AP
Militants Attack NATO Supply Convoy in Pakistan -- Wall Street Journal
6 Die in Attack on Supply Rigs in Pakistan -- New York Times
Militants attack Pakistan convoy -- UPI

Militants, troops clash in Pakistan; 54 killed -- AP
21 Taliban militants killed in Pak -- DNAIndia
6 Pak soldiers, 40 militants killed in fierce clashes' -- Hindustan Times
Pakistan clash kills six soldiers, 30 Taliban: official -- AFP

Pakistan Taliban leader seeks to prevent offensive: Forces target N. Waziristan -- Washington Times
Trial of 3,000 militants begin Aug 1 in Pakistan -- Sify News
Fuzzy line splits Pakistan jihad, security -- Washington Times
Pakistan, U.S. hold defense dialogue -- Xinhuanet
Pakistan-US To Hold Follow-Up Strategic Dialogue -- Bernama

Islamic Extremism In Pakistan's Largest City

In Violent Karachi, Insurgency Finds a Haven -- New York Times

KARACHI, Pakistan — In this violent city of 18 million people, where the country’s wealthiest live just miles from thousands of extremist religious schools and their Taliban supporters, lies the urban front line of Pakistan’s struggle with Islamic militancy.

A thousand miles to the north, the Pakistani Army is fighting the Taliban in barren tribal lands, and the Central Intelligence Agency has unleashed an air war with drones.

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More News On Pakistan's Civil War

Pakistan official: Caterer, others held for ties to Times Square bomb plot -- Washington Post
Pakistan detains at least four over New York plot -- Reuters
US warns Pakistani leaders their children could be terrorists -- The Telegraph
Times Square Bombing Investigation Focuses on Suspected Role of Pakistani Army Major -- Jawa Report
Pakistan: 9 killed by drone airstrike -- UPI
Suspected US missile kills 10 in NW Pakistan -- AP
US drone attack kills 10 in North Waziristan -- Hindustan Times
Pakistan Army Pays Heavy Price in the Taliban War -- NDTV
Strategy and timing of North Waziristan offensive Pak's discretion: NATO -- One India
Pakistan to launch operation in Taliban stronghold -- The Telegraph
North Waziristan operation -- DAWN
Debating ethics as Obama drones on -- Craig and Marc Kielburger, Huffington Post
Editorial:A looming disaster -- Daily Times

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- April 29, 2010

Pentagon Sees Pakistan Shift, Downplays Afghan Impact -- New York Times/Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan has shifted 100,000 of its troops from its Indian frontier to spearhead an unprecedented crackdown on militants along the Afghan border, but the offensives are unlikely to have an immediate impact on the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said.

In a report to Congress released on Wednesday, the Pentagon estimated that about 140,000 Pakistani troops were taking part in offensives against militants in the semi-autonomous tribal regions, known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or FATA, and the Northwest Frontier Province, near Afghanistan.

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More News On Pakistan's Civil War

U.S., Pakistan bolster joint efforts, treading delicately -- Washington Post
Elders' absence hinders army goals in NW Pakistan -- AP
Pakistan Taliban militants 'reappear' in Swat valley -- BBC
Taliban strike in North Waziristan and Peshawar -- Long War Journal
Clashes in NW Pakistan leave 6 dead -- Press TV
19 Taliban killed in North Waziristan, Orakzai, Swat -- Daily Times
Strong military presence necessary in Pakistan's tribal area: analysts -- Xinhuanet

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- March 22, 2010

In Pakistan's Swat, Taliban Instill Fear After Defeat -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Kishwar Begum studied nursing until she apparently decided to take lives, not help save them.

Her photograph appears on the front-page of a newspaper identifying her as a would-be suicide bomber, still at large in the Swat Valley, a former Taliban bastion seized by Pakistan's army in a major offensive nearly a year ago.

Many Taliban were killed. Others melted away, leaving residents fearful the militants will return if the army leaves and hands over security to a struggling police force.

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More News On Pakistan

Pakistan police: Plot foiled on hotels, diplomats -- Washington Post/AP
Pakistan foils plot to bomb Western targets -- Reuters
U.S. missile strike kills 8 militants in Pakistan -- Reuters
Officials: 5 militants killed in Pakistan by drone -- CNN
At least seven militants killed in Orakzai -- Dawn
Taliban behead three 'US spies' in Pakistan -- Inquirer.net/AFP
Pakistan Tribes Say U.S. Must to Root Out Militants for Peace -- Business Week/Bloomberg
Talks with the Taliban -- DAWN

Army Chief Driving Pakistan’s Agenda for Talks -- New York Times
General Kayani in Washington; Pakistan’s most powerful man -- Reuters
Kayani's key role in strategic talks with US shows who calls the shots in Pak: NYT -- One India

Pakistan to Look at Nuclear Scientist’s Ties to Iran -- New York Times
Pakistan Renews Scrutiny of Nuclear Pioneer -- CBS News
Pakistan seeks to probe nuclear secrets scientist -- Reuters

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- March 2, 2010

Pakistan Seizes Insurgent Stronghold on Afghan Border -- Wall Street Journal

DAMADOLA, Pakistan—Pakistani forces have seized a key al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold along the border with Afghanistan that once served as a hideout for Ayman al Zawahiri, second-in-command to Osama bin Laden.

The capture of Damadola, a district in the Bajaur tribal region, is a major success in Pakistan's counterinsurgency campaign. The area had long been dominated by insurgents operating on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

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More News On Pakistan

Pakistani army wraps up combat operations in Bajur -- AP
Pakistan says army seized Taliban, Al-Qaeda base -- AFP
Pakistan secures Taliban hub; militiamen dance -- Reuters
Taliban cave network found in Pakistan mountains -- The Telegraph
Pakistani army kills Chechen fighters at Taliban, al-Qaeda base -- RIA Novosti
Pakistan Army Celebrates Victory but ISI Asset Escapes -- Ibrahim Sajid Malick
After Swat, anti-Taliban ops headed for Khyber -- Times Of India
Missile 'kills Lashkar-e-Jhangvi leader' in Pakistan -- BBC
Pakistan lays out terror charges for 5 Americans -- AP
Pakistan police list charges against US suspects -- AFP

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- February 23/24, 2010

U.S. Commander Lauds Pakistani Efforts on Militants -- Yahoo News/Reuters

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - U.S. General David Petraeus on Tuesday praised Pakistan's fight against Islamic militants as "quite impressive," saying the counter-insurgency would be studied for years to come.

Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command who helped write the Army Field Manual on counter-insurgency and is widely credited with turning around the Iraq war, said Pakistan was running a classical campaign in the Swat Valley and South Waziristan.

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More News On Pakistan

Petraeus hails 'breakthroughs' in Pakistan -- AFP
US general in Pakistan to bolster alliance -- AFP
Gen. Petraeus Now Praises Pakistan's Taliban Fight -- ABC News

Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Kabir 'seized in Pakistan' -- BBC
Key Afghan Taliban leader arrested in northwestern Pakistan -- L.A. Times
Pakistani Reports Capture of a Taliban Leader -- New York Times
Afghan Taliban commander captured in Pakistan -- Washington Post
Pakistan captures another Taliban leader -- CNN

Suicide bomb blast kills Welsh woman in Pakistan -- BBC
British woman killed in Pakistan suicide bombing is named -- The Guardian
British woman killed in Pakistan suicide bombing -- Times Online

Was the Taliban's Captured No. 2 on the Outs with Mullah Omar? -- Times Online
Top UN official calls for talks with Mullah Omar -- the Telegraph
Punishing the Taliban -- Buffalo News opinion

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- February 18, 2010

Bomb At Pakistan Mosque Kills Dozens -- New York Times

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A bomb blast in the Khyber tribal area has killed at least 30 people and wounded more than 70 others, residents and security officials in the region said Thursday.

The blast struck a meeting of the militants in the Aka Khel area of the Khyber tribal region, near the Afghan border. Local residents and security officials said a local militant commander, Azam Khan, was killed in the explosion. Mr. Khan, who ran the local FM radio station, was delivering a sermon on the radio when the blast occurred.

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More News On Pakistan

Bomb kills 29 in Pakistan as US envoy visits -- AP
Blast Kills 25 in NW Pakistan -- Voice of America
Dozens killed in two blasts in NW Pakistan -- Xinhuanet
30 killed in suicide attack on Pakistani mosque -- Press Trust India
Bomb blast kills 29 in northwestern Pakistan as US envoy meets leaders in capital -- Canadian Press

Pakistan confirms arrest of Taliban shadow governor, key commander -- Xinhuanet
Pakistan: Al-Qaida-linked militants arrested -- AP
Pakistan arrests 2 senior Afghan Taliban: official -- Reuters

Holbrooke in Pakistan after Taliban arrests -- Yahoo News/Reuters
U.S., Pakistan confirm capture of Afghan Taliban's deputy commander -- Washington Post
Pakistan Confirms Baradar's Capture -- Wall Street Journal
Analysts: Taliban Commander Arrest Signals Change in Pakistani Mindset -- Voice of America
INTERVIEW-Pakistan says Taliban arrest not due to US pressure -- Reuters
US drone strike 'kills three' militants in Pakistan -- AFP
Miramshah drone attack kills four militants: officials -- Dawn

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- February 3, 2010

Roadside Bomb Kills Three U.S. Soldiers in Pakistan -- Wall Street Journal

A roadside bomb killed at least three U.S. soldiers and five Pakistanis in a corner of northwestern Pakistan where Pakistani forces have struggled to subdue the Taliban, officials said.

Wednesday's bombing hit a convoy from Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps in which the U.S. soldiers were traveling, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said in statement. The Americans, two of whom were also wounded, were part of a mission training the Frontier Corps, and the Embassy said it was still collecting facts on precisely what happened.

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More News On Pakistan

U.S. says 3 military personnel killed in Pakistan bombing -- Washington Post
Bomb blast near Pakistani girls' school kills three US soldiers -- Times Online
Taliban kill 3 US soldiers in Pakistan roadside bomb attack -- Christian Science Monitor
Three U.S. soldiers die in Pakistan blast -- CNN
Three US marines among dead in Pakistan bomb -- The Telegraph
Three US soldiers among 9 killed in bombing in northwest Pakistan -- Long War Journal

Predators pound terrorist camp in North Waziristan -- Long War Journal
Suspected US drones kill at least 31 in Pakistan -- Belfast Telegraph
U.S. Drones Kill at Least 10 With Missiles in Northwest Pakistan -- Wall Street Journal
US missile volley kills 16 militants in Pakistan: officials -- AFP
Obama ups Pakistan drone strikes in assassination campaign -- Christian Science Monitor
Researchers: U.S. escalated drone strikes in Pakistan in recent weeks -- CNN
America seeking revenge in Pakistan for CIA raid? -- Reuters

Pakistan confident of insurgent death -- Financial Times
US, Pakistani officials believe Mehsud is dead -- Daily Times
‘Hakimullah’s likely successor also killed’ -- Times of India
A Fatal Blow to the Taliban? -- Time Magazine
Pakistani Taliban leader's death would be 'fatal blow' for group, analyst says -- Washington Post

Pakistan political violence kills 37: police -- AFP
Sporadic Violence Claims 39 Lives in Karachi -- Outlook India
Rangers called in to maintain security across Karachi -- DAWN.com

Americans held in Pakistan complain of torture -- Reuters
US men held in Pakistan claim 'set up' by police -- BBC
Pakistan: Note From 5 American Muslims in Custody Claims Torture -- New York Times

Pakistan's Taliban Leadership Hit Hard By Drone Strikes -- News And Analysis

Security forces claimed to have destroyed several hideouts and bunkers. Photo from DAWN

Pakistani Taliban Leader's Death Would Be 'Fatal Blow' For Group, Analyst Says -- Washington Post

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN -- The reported death of the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, a violent Islamist group with close links to al-Qaeda, leaves the predatory and feared militia effectively decapitated, with its fighters on the run from the Pakistani army and public sympathy running low.

Although the Pakistani Taliban has shown resilience in the past, Pakistani analysts said it would be difficult for the group to quickly recover from the loss of Hakimullah Mehsud, who has reportedly died in a village in northwest Pakistan of burns and injuries he suffered during a U.S. drone missile attack in mid-January.

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More News On Pakistan

Taliban's CIA bomber Hakimullah Mehsud dies of wounds -- The Australian
US officials certain Mehsud is dead -- Times Of India
Evidence mounts that Pakistani Taliban leader was killed -- Boston.com
Pakistan Investigates Reports of Taliban Leader's Death -- Wall Street Journal
Pak Talibs claim Mehsud is alive, vow to provide proof -- Economic Times of India
Taliban bombers’ boss tipped to replace Mehsud -- Mumbai Mirror
Al-Qaeda will find it hard to replace Mehsud: US -- Indian Express
Mehsud, or the Dangers of No. 2 -- World Poltiics Review
A Fatal Blow to the Taliban? -- Time Magazine
CIA Drone Gets Taliban Leader in Payback for Deaths of Its Agents -- ABC News

Thousands flee as 22 killed in Bajaur -- DAWN
Pakistan troops 'capture Taliban base in Bajaur' -- BBC
22 militants killed, Taliban’s centre seized -- Regional Times
Pakistan 'kills up to 80 militants' in offensive: military -- AFP
US drones kill ten militants in Pakistan: officials -- AFP
U.S. missile strike kills 10 militants in Pakistan -- Reuters
At least '10 dead' in Pakistan drones strike -- BBC
Bullet-riddled bodies of 10 Taliban fighters found in Pakistan -- DNAindia
Pakistani official: Tribesmen kill, hang militants -- Forbes/AP
5 American terror suspects say they are being tortured in Pakistan -- CNN
Death toll in Karachi violence rises to 22 -- Press TV

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- February 1, 2010

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, talks with Pakistani President Asif ali Zardari in Islamabad, Pakistan, Jan. 21, 2010. Gates met with the country's top military leaders and his Pakistani counterpart to discuss Washington's new Afghan policy and other issues of mutual interests. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison

Who’s Who In The Pakistan Taliban -- Christian Science Monitor

New reports resurfaced Sunday that Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud died after a US drone attack Jan. 14. A look at other senior figures in the group.

Questions resurfaced this week as to whether Hakimullah Mehsud, the brash young commander of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed by a US drone attack on Jan. 14.

Renewed speculation that the Taliban leader was dead was sparked by a report on Pakistani state television Sunday night saying he had been buried.

The Taliban denied the report through their spokesman Azam Tariq. Pakistan Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the military is still seeking confirmation.

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More News On Pakistan

Taliban's CIA bomber Hakimullah Mehsud dies of wounds -- The Australian
Hakimullah Mehsud, leader of Pakistani Taleban, reported killed in drone attack -- Times Online
Pakistan Army Investigates Report Mehsud is Dead, Taliban Denies Report -- Voice of America
Pakistan Investigates Reports of Taliban Leader's Death -- Wall Street Journal
Pakistani Taliban Leader Is Reported Dead -- New York Times
Pakistani army investigating reports of Taliban leader's death -- L.A. Times
Report: Pakistani Taliban leader killed -- CNN
Pakistan Islamist tied to CIA bombing believed dead -- McClatchy News
Profile: Hakimullah Mehsud -- Al Jazeera

15 Militants Killed in Clashes in Pakistan -- Voice of America
Pakistani troops kill 15 Taliban in Bajaur clashes -- Reuters
Two Pakistani soldiers killed, three injured in militant attack -- DNAindia
Bomb kills 2 soldiers in NW Pakistan: paramilitary -- AFP
Fresh political violence kills 17 in Karachi -- Reuters
Pakistan detains American man near Afghan border -- Washington Post
Militants torch Nato tanker in northwest Pakistan -- DAWN
Nato tanker torched in Pakistan -- BBC
Secrecy of US drone strikes in Pakistan criticized -- Huffington post
US aid programme failed to achieve its goals in Pak: Report -- OneIndia
U.S. will fail to split Taliban, ex-Pakistan spy says -- Reuters

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- January 22, 2010

Pakistani Military Says No New Taliban Offensive Soon -- McClatchy News

ISLAMABAD — Obama administration efforts to pacify Afghanistan suffered a major setback Thursday with the announcement in Pakistan that Pakistan's military plans no new assault this year on Taliban sanctuaries near the Afghan border.

U.S. strategy in Afghanistan depends on shutting off Taliban havens in Pakistan, especially in the North Waziristan area, where leaders of the Haqqani network, which is considered the most dangerous insurgent group in Afghanistan, shelter.

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More News On Pakistan

Pakistan snubs US over new Taliban offensive -- BBC
No new offensive for 6 to 12 months: ISPR -- Daily Times
Pakistan will not mount new attacks on Taliban militants in major snub to U.S. -- The Daily Mail
Why Pakistan will not mount new attacks on militants -- BBC
Pakistan signals North Waziristan offensive this year -- The Telegraph
Pakistan Army does not share plans: US -- DAWN
Greater intelligence sharing between Pak, US: Kayani -- DAWN
US may equip Pakistan with drone aircraft, Gates says -- Christian Science Monitor
U.S. Offers Pakistan Drones to Urge Cooperation -- New York Times
Petraeus: U.S. Must Show Pakistan We're Serious -- Defense News

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- January 12, 2010

Pakistan Suffers Worst Year Of Terrorist Violence -- The Telegraph

Pakistan suffered its worst year of terrorist violence last year, with more than 3,000 people reported to have been killed as an al-Qaeda-inspired insurgency targeted civilians and destabilised the country.

The toll from the violence in Pakistan far outstripped the bloodshed in neighbouring Afghanistan, according to research by the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies (Pips).

It found that 3,021 people had been killed and 7,334 injured in terrorist attacks in Pakistan in 2009. There were 87 suicide bombings out of 2,586 incidents related to terrorism - a 45 per cent rise in attacks over the previous year.

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More News On Pakistan

Pakistan suffers record number of deaths due to militant violence -- The Guardian
Pakistan terrorist violence spiked 45 percent in 2009 -- McClatchy News
Action likely in N. Waziristan, say US senators -- DAWN
Senator: Pakistan army may go to North Waziristan -- Washington Post/AP
'Taliban storm Pakistan army post, kill soldier' -- AFP
US drone war delivers results, but at what price? -- AFP
Political violence sparks protest in Pakistan's Karachi -- AFP
Pakistan seen becoming more Islamist, anti-U.S. -- Reuters
Taking on the Taliban: 'Where have all the bad guys gone?' -- Toronto Star
Pakistan's Response to Terrorism: Still Inadequate -- Time Magazine

Palistan Civil War News Updates -- January 1, 2009

Suicide Bomber Kills 70 At Volleyball Game In Pakistan -- The Telegraph

As many as 70 people have been killed by a suicide car bomber at a volleyball game in north-west Pakistan.

Police said dozens more were injured in the attack in the village of Shah Hasan Khan, in the troubled Bannu district.

“The villagers were watching the match between the two village teams when the bomber drove his double-cabin pick-up vehicle into them and blew it up,” said Habibullah Khan, the local chief of police. “There was a match between two village teams and a lot of people were watching it.”

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More News On Pakistan

More than 70 dead in Pakistan volleyball blast: report -- Yahoo News/Reuters
More than 70 dead in Pakistan volleyball blast -- The Independent
Pakistan volleyball crowd 'hit by suicide bomber' -- BBC
Suicide car bomb kills 40 in Pakistan -- Yahoo News/AFP

Deadly strike in Pakistan targets car -- CNN
U.S. drone attack in Pakistan kills three militants -- Reuters
Militants 'bomb schools' in Pakistan tribal area -- AFP
Tribal elder killed in NW Pakistan bomb blast -- AFP
Gunmen attack NATO fuel tankers in Pakistan: police -- AFP
Pakistan army hits 'militants' in Waziristan hospital -- BBC
Pakistan raid on hospital kills Arab and Sudanese militants -- Christian Science Monitor
650 militants killed in Pakistan in 3 months: army -- China View

Pakistani police seek terror charges for US men -- BBC
Pakistan to seek terror charges for five Americans -- AFP
5 terror suspects from U.S. may face life terms in Pakistan -- Dallas Morning News/AP

U.N. to Cut Foreign Staff in Pakistan for Safety -- New York Times
UN to relocate staff in Pakistan -- Al Jazeera
UN to withdraw staff from Pakistan -- Times Online

Pakistan's financial capital comes to a standstill -- China View
Terror, Protests Keep Pakistan’s Economy Closed on First Day -- Business Week/Bloomberg

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- December 28, 2009

The bomb blast site after the attack which killed 25 and injured 40. Children were among the dead. (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images)

Threat Of Sectarian Strife Adds To Nuclear-Armed Pakistan's Woes -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News

ISLAMABAD -- The bombing of a Shiite Muslim religious procession in Pakistan's largest city Monday killed at least 30 people as U.S.-backed President Asif Ali Zardari warned of a "conspiracy" against the country's democracy.

The fourth attack on Pakistan's Shiite minority in recent days fueled fears that a sectarian conflict alongside the nuclear-armed country's battle with the Pakistani Taliban and other Sunni Muslim extremist groups could topple Zardari's fragile civilian government, which was elected last year after eight years of military-led rule.

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Suicide bomber kills 30 in Pakistan during Shia religious ceremony -- Times Online
Suicide bomber kills 30 Shia mourners in Karachi -- Long War Journal
Suicide bomber kills 30 on Shia procession in Karachi -- The Guardian
Pakistan suicide bomber kills 30 in Ashura attack -- The Telegraph
Karachi blast kills 30 on Shia holy day -- Financial Times
In pictures: Karachi march attacked -- BBC
Karachi Bombings: The Growing Conflict Between Pakistan's Taliban and Shi'ites -- Time Magazine
Pakistani forces kill 15 militants near Afghan border -- Sify
Pakistan clashes kill 15: officials -- AFP
Death toll in drone strike rises to 13 -- Dawn
Report: U.S. missiles kill militants in Pakistan -- CNN
Brainwashed boy bomber flees Taliban -- Times Online
Tension and terror in Pakistan -- The Guardian opinion

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- December 16, 2009

Pakistan Split Over U.S. Demand For Attack On Afghan Taliban -- McCltahcy News

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A section of the Pakistani military top command now agrees with Washington that the country's armed forces should be sent into the North Waziristan area, a sanctuary for al Qaida and Afghan insurgents, analysts and officials said Tuesday.

Due to resistance from the core army, however, any operation there could be half-hearted.

The Obama administration is pressuring Pakistan to follow its offensive against Pakistani Taliban in South Waziristan with a push against Afghan insurgents and al Qaida fighters based in North Waziristan, a territory controlled by the Haqqani network, widely seen as the most dangerous rebel group in Afghanistan.

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More News On Pakistan's Civil War

Why Are Zawahiri and Gadahn Still Alive? -- ABC News
Can Mullen get Pakistan to shut down its terrorist havens? -- Christian Science Monitor
US military officer in Pakistan for Afghan war talks -- AFP
Pakistan snubs US overtures -- The Age
Rebuffing U.S., Pakistan Balks at Crackdown -- New York Times
Pakistan, U.S. at Odds over Taliban Leader -- CBS
Pakistan's Zardari resists U.S. timeline for fighting insurgents -- Washington Post
US Afghan strategy in peril as Pakistan refuses to take on key militant -- Times Online
Zardari Orders National Counterterrorism Strategy for Pakistan -- Bloomberg
Blast Kills 33 in Pakistan -- Voice of America
Blast kills 33 near lawmaker's home in Pakistan -- AP
Pakistan suicide attacks spike, but overall attacks are down -- Christian Science Monitor
43 militants killed as Pakistan pounds hideouts -- AFP
Over 40,000 flee looming operation in Pakistan's tribal area -- Daily Times
Pakistan’s Taliban Losing Support Through Terrorism, Malik Says -- Bloomberg
US-Pakistan Detainees Swap -- Islam Online
Editorial: Widening offensive -- Daily Times
Empty Victories -- Strategy Page

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- December 13, 2009

Pakistani security personnel guard suspected militants at a media briefing. Photo AFP

Pakistan's PM Backtracks On Military Offensive -- CNN

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani made a U-turn Saturday -- first declaring that the military offensive against Islamic militants in South Waziristan had ended, then saying there is no timeframe for its completion.

The Pakistani army is conducting an intense operation to rout militants from their haven along the country's border with Afghanistan. The militants, in turn, have launched a series of deadly attacks in retaliation.

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More News On Pakistan's Civil War

Gilani's U-turn on Taliban offensive; says operation to go on -- Times of India
PM backtracks on Waziristan remarks -- Daily Times
Pakistan PM backtracks on Waziristan remarks -- Reuters
Military operation in S. Waziristan to continue: PM -- Associated Press Of Pakistan
No timeframe for ending South Waziristan operation: Pakistani PM -- China View
Taliban driven out of key battleground: Pakistan PM -- AFP

Pakistan's Peshawar, epicenter of jihad -- Reuters
Peshawar on front line of Pakistan's militant war -- AP
Hospitals full, city bombed: People of Peshawar caught between Pakistani army and militants -- Politics News/AP
FACTBOX - Pakistan's Peshawar struggles with bombings -- Reuters

Saleh Somali killed in Pakistan drone attack: US -- DAWN
Drone Kills a Leader of Al Qaeda -- Wall Street Journal

Fighting in Pakistan kills 7 militants, 2 troops -- AP
Pakistan kills about 22 militants, eyes new fronts -- Reuters
Al-Qaeda 'not behind Pakistan bloodshed': US militant -- AFP

Petraeus urges Pakistan to raise pressure on Taliban -- BBC
Pakistan must pressure Afghan Taliban: Petraeus -- AFP
Pakistan be included on Afghan issues: Zardari -- Daily Times
Pakistani leader Zardari is on shaky ground -- L.A. Times

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- December 8, 2009

Pakistani troops patrol on a hill top post in Ladha, a town in the troubled tribal region of South Waziristan along the Afghan border, 17 Nov 2009. Photo from Voice of America

Pakistan Spy Agency Office Attacked In Multan -- BBC

A gun and bomb attack on an office of Pakistan's main intelligence agency in the central city of Multan has killed at least 12 people, police say.

More than 25 others were injured when suicide attackers opened fire. A rocket was launched during the attack and grenades were also thrown.

The violence came a day after bombings killed about 60 in Lahore and Peshawar.

More than 400 people have been killed during a string of attacks mounted by Islamist militants in recent weeks.

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More News on Pakistan

Bombs kill 43 in Pakistan; amnesty case stirs tension -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Police: Attack on Pakistan intel office kills 12 -- Yahoo News/AP
At Least 44 are Dead in 3 Pakistan Blasts -- Wall Street Journal
At Least 46 Killed in Pakistan Bombings -- L.A. Times
Bomb Blasts Across Pakistan Kill More Than 70 Since Monday -- Voice of America
Pakistan Militants Bomb Multan, 100 Dead in Five Days -- Bloomberg
Pakistan reels from a year of deadly attacks -- Sydney Morning Herald
Warning of more attacks in Pakistan -- Financial Times

Suspected U.S. missile strike in Pakistan -- Reuters
US drone attack kills three 'militants' in Pakistan -- BBC
US Drone Kills Three In Pakistan - Officials -- Wall Street Journal

Battered Pakistan turns to clerics -- Asia Times
Pakistan Told to Ratchet Up Taliban Fight -- New York Times
US Ready to Expand Military Help for Pakistan -- Voice of America
Gates: US willing to give Pakistan more help fighting terrorists -- L.A. Times
Pakistan and the War -- New York Times editorial

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- December 7-8, 2009

Rescue workers fight to put out fires at the Moon Market in Lahore after two suicide bombers killed more than 30 Pakistanis. APP Photo.

Pakistan Terror Attack Dent Lahore's Safest City Image -- Christian Science Monitor

In Pakistan's second terror attack of the day, twin blasts ripped through a market in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday evening, killing more than 40 and injuring more than 100.

Lahore, Pakistan - A day of carnage in Pakistan was capped by twin blasts that ripped through a crowded marketplace in the eastern city of Lahore on Monday evening, killing more than 40 and injuring more than 100, according to the provincial law minister.

Earlier, a suicide bomb in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed more than 11, bringing the day's death toll to more than 50. Although no group has claimed responsibility for either attack, most analysts believe the blasts are linked and that the Pakistani Taliban is behind them.

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More News On Pakistan

At least 46 killed in Pakistan bombings -- L.A. Times
45 killed in dual suicide attack in Lahore -- Long War Journal
Market bombs 'kill dozens' in Pakistan's Lahore -- BBC
Blasts tear through Lahore marketplace killing 30 and wounding at least 60 -- Daily Mail

Pakistan court hears challenge to corruption amnesty -- BBC
Pakistan court ruling could undermine President Asif Zardari -- The Telegraph

Pakistan troops kill four in Swat valley: army -- AFP
4 militants killed in NW Pakistan -- China View
17 militants killed, 32 nabbed in Pakistan -- Press Trust India

Gates Backs Pakistani Nuclear Security -- Global Security Newswire
Pakistani nuclear weapons cannot fall into wrong hands- Top expert -- Associated Press Of Pakistan

Pakistan seals border with Afghanistan -- Press TV

Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- December 3, 2009

Click Image to Enlarge

Fate Of Afghanistan Surge 'Lies In Pakistan' -- The Telegraph

Diplomats believe the fate of President Barack Obama's new "surge" in Afghanistan may be sealed in Pakistan.

The Obama administration was reported to be planning in influx of CIA operatives and an intensified campaign of missile attacks from Predator drones after Pakistan's failure to so far rein in militant attacks launched across the Afghan border and increasing concern about the security of its nuclear arsenal.

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Pakistan fears it may pay price of U.S. Afghan surge -- Reuters
Congress worries about Obama's plan for Pakistan -- AP
Afghanistan Plan 'Incomplete' Without Pakistan Push, Lugar Says -- FOX News
Pakistan must ‘do more’ against all militants: Hillary -- DAWN
Pakistan's Gilani Cautious Over Obama Strategy For Afghanistan -- Radio Free Europe
Afghans and Pakistanis Concerned Over U.S. Plan -- New York Times
Pakistanis voice concerns about Obama's new Afghanistan plan -- Washington Post
‘Pakistan wants more clarity on new US Afghan strategy’ -- Dawn

Bin Laden not in Pakistan, PM says -- CNN
Bin Laden Not in Pakistan, Prime Minister Says -- New York Times
Pakistan stonewalling (on Osama Bin Laden) cannot last much longer -- Times Online

22 militants killed in NW Pakistan -- China View
Pakistan forces kill 17 militants -- AFP
Bomber kills Pakistani politician -- BBC
Bomber kills anti-Taliban lawmaker in Pakistan -- AP
Suicide bomber kills officer at Pakistan navy complex -- BBC
Bomb kills one outside Pakistan naval headquarters -- Reuters