The Pakistan army - under pressure from the Yankers - is attempting to uproot the Taliban from its stronghold (Waziristan). The Taliban appear (initially) to be putting up a good fight !

Waziristan has a long tradition of resisting outside interference.

From the 1860s onwards, the colonial British forces made gruelling expeditions into the area following audacious attacks from Waziristan tribesmen in British-ruled territory.

More than a century later, it is no easier for the Pakistani army.

In 2004 the Pakistani army suffered heavily at the hands of Wazir-affiliated militants.

There is a possibility that a military offensive against the Mehsud group in South Waziristan could draw into the conflict militant groups based in the Wazir tribal areas of South and North Waziristan.

These groups are currently part of an al-Qaeda-affiliated network who have so far concentrated on fighting inside Afghanistan. They have "peace agreements" with the Pakistani army.

it's a typical imperial disaster..the Taliban and Pakistanis aren't friends but they have a common enemy.

Unless the Yanks nuke the entire joint they will never win.

I saw one so-called "expert" today on CNN rabbiting on about how Alexander the Great defeated the Afghanis..for crying out loud !

The Pakistanis claim to have killed 60/70 Taliban - but as there is no independent verification we shall just have to wait and see how many were actually innocent civilians.

In The Know wrote:
The Pakistanis claim to have killed 60/70 Taliban - but as there is no independent verification we shall just have to wait and see how many were actually innocent civilians.

That's the difficult part. How do they tell the difference between Taliban and non Taliban? They all dress in civilian clothing. Some civilians may be armed for their own defence, and some Taliban may be unarmed. No uniforms. No insignia. No membership cards. Pakistan could claim anyone to be Taliban, and the Taliban could say that they were innocent bystanders.