The Taliban take retribution against pro-American “spies” and “collaborators”

The federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Frontier Province. Click to enlrage.

The Taliban and al Qaeda have violated the agreement less than one week after signing it. Twice. Two tribal members have been murdered in North Waziristan over the weekend. “Malik Dalai was killed in a drive-by shooting near Wana” on Sunday, reports the Daily Times. Daili is described as a “ a tribesman suspected of collaboration with authorities in the hunt for insurgents.”

Another tribal was murdered on Saturday, with notes pinned to his body, “A paramilitary patrol found Rahim Jan’s bullet-ridden body with two letters on it near a tableeghi market west of Miranshah, the official said. One letters said Jan had 'confessed to spying for the Americans.'”

The Washington Post illustrates the failure of Pakistani military campaign in the tribal agencies and the resultant purge of pro-government and American forces:

The [Pakistani] army lost its best source of intelligence in 2004, after it began raids inside the tribal areas. Scouts with blood ties to the tribes ceased sharing information for fear of retaliation.They had good reason. At least 23 senior anti-Taliban tribesmen have been assassinated in South and North Waziristan since May 2005. "Al-Qaeda footprints were found everywhere," Interior Minister Sherpao said in a recent interview. "They kidnapped and chopped off heads of at least seven of these pro-government tribesmen.”

Over the course of a year, 23 anti-Taliban tribals were killed. Two were killed over the weekend. The Taliban is consolidating power by destroying the remnants of the government's sources of intelligence.