U.S.stirs a hornet's nest in Pakistan! (Who are the Pashtuns?)

Pakistan finally bowed to Washington's angry demands last week by unleashing its military against rebellious Pashtun tribesmen of North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) -- collectively mislabelled "Taliban" in the West.

The Obama administration had threatened to stop $2 billion US annual cash payments to bankrupt Pakistan's political and military leadership and block $6.5 billion future aid, unless Islamabad sent its soldiers into Pakistan's turbulent NWFP along the Afghan frontier.

The result was a bloodbath: Some 1,000 "terrorists" killed (read: mostly civilians) and 1.2 million people -- most of Swat's population -- made refugees. More...

See also:

1. All-female madrasas boom in Pakistan...
2. A campaign of fear about the Taliban grabbing Pakistan's nukes...
3. Why they love the Taliban in Pakistan...
4. Pakistan, the Taliban and U.S. involvement...