U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledges more than 100 million dollars to aid the growing number of refugees from Pakistan’s Swat Valley region.
Hello, I’m Ericka Nochlin and you’re watching Newsy.com
India’s NDTV sees the U.S. aid as having both political and humanitarian implications.
“Today’s announcement of a fresh aid package reflects the Obama’s administration’s growing confidence in Islamabad’s ability to combat the Taliban and a concern that the military offensive in the Swat region, which is strongly encouraged by Washington, not create a humanitarian crisis that would turn the average Pakistani against the counter-insurgency effort.”So just what is the Swat Valley?
Al Jazeera English describes this area only 100 miles from the Pakistan capital, as a place that’s gone from a tourism haven to a war-torn battle zone.
“Swat was once called the Switzerland of Pakistan. Famed for its ski resorts and hotels and many tourists. Today it is a battleground and a political test for the country’s new political government, which some say has already collapsed.”CNN looks at how the Pakistani government has been ineffective in dealing with the Taliban in the vital Swat Valley region.
“This is coming just days after the Pakistani government signed an agreement with the Taliban in the nearby Swat Valley, as a concession to the Taliban. The Pakistani government agreed to allow the imposition of Islamic Sharia law there. But the Taliban has appeared to be emboldened by this concession.”The Taliban’s interpretation of these laws is extreme and includes bans on music, television and women being seen in public without their husbands.
The Guardian brings us back to the personal level and just what is at risk…
“The human exodus from the war-torn Swat valley in northern Pakistan is turning into the world’s most dramatic displacement crisis since the Rwandan genocide in 1994… bringing the total number of war displaced in the North West Frontier province to more than 2 million.”Please let us know what you think of this story and be sure to check out our sources.
I’m Ericka Nochlin for Newsy.com, where multiple perspectives help provide the real story.
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