November 2, 2007

Maybe They're Re-Enactors

The Islamists in Pakistan's Swat region have taken some tough blows in the past few days, losing over 70 fighters while their leader, Maulana Fazlullah, ran off to avoid the Pakistani Army. They desperately need some good publicity and a way to undermine military morale. Capturing dozens of soldiers would certainly do the trick -- but faking it might be easier:

Islamic militants said Friday they had freed 48 government troops after they surrendered during fighting in northwestern Pakistan, a region increasingly falling under the control of extremists who are challenging Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. ...

They escorted journalists to two-story concrete building in the town of Charabagh to show off 48 men said to have surrendered during the fighting. Most were described as paramilitary troops from the Frontier Corps, and were freed later.

"We have surrendered to these mujahedeen," said Barkat Ullah, 24, who, like other captives, was wearing civilian clothes, saying they had left their uniforms at their posts. "We had no ammunition. We had no other option."

Authorities denied any surrenders Thursday, and army and government spokesmen were not responding to calls seeking comment Friday.

Did the AP really buy this story? Just on the face of it, it sounds highly implausible. Islamist terrorists don't just release captives for no return on their value, especially immediately. They usually attempt some sort of extortion, and they kill at least a couple of them just to send a message to others who might attempt to interfere with them in the future.

Even if one presumes that the Islamists suddenly got humane, the explanation of the capture makes no sense, either. None of these men wore a military uniform. The explanation is that they ran out of ammunition, so they changed back into civvies -- and then surrendered? Wouldn't such a tactic be used for evasion? If they wanted to surrender, why take off the uniforms at all? And why wouldn't they have withdrawn back to the Army lines when the ammunition started to run out?

Oddly, Riaz Khan doesn't think to ask these questions in his report. He and other journalists apparently just checked their common sense at the door and dutifully passed along what is almost certainly a load of terrorist propaganda. Either the "captives" fight for the terrorists, or are friendly allies in the tribes assisting with the Islamist snow job.

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