Taliban Exploit Class Rifts in Pakistan (New York Times)
"In Swat, accounts from those who have fled now make clear that the Taliban seized control by pushing out about four dozen landlords who held the most power.
"To do so, the militants organized peasants into armed gangs that became their shock troops, the residents, government officials and analysts said.
"The approach allowed the Taliban to offer economic spoils to people frustrated with lax and corrupt government even as the militants imposed a strict form of Islam through terror and intimidation.
“'This was a bloody revolution in Swat,' said a senior Pakistani official who oversees Swat, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation by the Taliban. 'I wouldn’t be surprised if it sweeps the established order of Pakistan.'
"The Taliban’s ability to exploit class divisions adds a new dimension to the insurgency and is raising alarm about the risks to Pakistan, which remains largely feudal."
See also:
Behind the crisis in Swat by Sartaj Khan
reply: No class war in Swat by Farhat Taj
rejoinder: The nature of war in Swat by Sartaj Khan
And see:
Taliban push Robin Hood image in Pakistan (CNN, April 27, 2009)
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