One of the sings that indicated to me, very early on in Iraq, that The Surge in Anbar Province was going to work as it expanded across Iraq was the fact that the Islamo Fascist terrorists were targeting the Muslim Main Street – thereby creating the backlash that turned al Qaeda from the future of Islam into the enemy of Islam. The terrorists could not deal a serious blow to the US forces, so it instead tried to create such bloody carnage against their fellow Muslims that public opinion in the West would sour and force a military defeat.

And it almost worked, if it were not for the determination of President Bush and people like Senators McCain and Lieberman.

Today in Pakistan we are seeing very similar signs as the Islamo Terrorists hiding in the tribal areas that span the north of Pakistan along the Afghan border are lashing out against their fellow Pakistani Muslims in an last ditch effort to try and stop the pending Pak military cleansing of the last major sanctuary for al Qaeda and the Taliban in the region. Two reports (here and here) document the latest terrorist attacks on Pakistani civilians. An excerpt from the second link:

At least five people died Thursday evening in two back-to-back blasts in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar, and a few hours later, a policeman was killed by a suicide car bomb, a police official said. A short time later, a fourth bomb rocked the nearby city of Dera Ismail Khan, police said.

…

Peshawar is the capital of North West Frontier Province, an area where the military has launched a massive operation against Taliban militants.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosions, but earlier Thursday, the Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Lahore the day before that killed at least 27 people. The militants vowed similar attacks in other cities. Wednesday’s attack was in eastern Pakistan.

It is a pure desperation move by the Islamo Fascists. Their current sanctuaries in the Waziristan Agencies of FATA (see map above) have been safe due to the support of the local people. Just like al Qaeda was safe in Iraq until the locals turned on them. The terrorists must think they have nothing left to lose given that they are in the gun sights of the Pak Army:

At least 15 Taliban were killed and several injured by security forces’ shelling in South Waziristan Agency, a private TV channel reported on Wednesday. According to the channel, the security forces shelled Taliban hideouts in Sarokai area of the agency, killing 15 Taliban and injuring several others.

More here:

Given the ongoing military operation in Swat, militants, after consulting with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud, have begun mining the area, the advisory says.

Mehsud has ordered Asmatullah Muawiya and Qari Zafar to plant landmines across the South Waziristan tribal region, whereas, different militant groups active in North Waziristan have taken the task on.

A useless and amateurish defensive move. And yet more:

Ten militants were killed as troops moved ahead in South Waziristan on Wednesday.

Security forces claimed to have destroyed several bunkers and seized two vehicles loaded with heavy weapons.

According to local people, helicopters hit several targets in the Mehsud area after a rocket attack on a paramilitary fort by militants.

…

Reports reaching here said that a large number of roads between Makeen and Razmak in North Waziristan had been blocked by the military.

Things are coming to a head in Pakistan this summer. If the rats’ nests can be purged in the tribal areas of Pakistan, which are used as staging areas for attacks inside Afghanistan, then Afghanistan will have the opportunity to stabilize just as Iraq has been able to.

It could be the beginning of the end for al Qaeda and the radical Taliban – 8 years after their deadly attack on 9-11.

Tags: Afghanistan, al-Qaeda, FATA, Pakistan, Taliban, Waziristan