Just academic writing in their words. That's the point. I posted the article and website to show how the Pakistani academics view the problem. Yes, it is an older article, but the perceptions are what is important.

I haven't been to either Afghanistan or Pakistan, but I learned in Iraq that the local's perceptions are much more the reality than any "truth" or "facts" we present.

Yes, the FATA is still a major problem, but we've yet to define what the "problem" is. And no, neither the public nor the politician will every understand the "problem" b/c it will never be a 30 second soundbite.

Slight snags will always abound when dealing with another culture. Personally, I found the website fascinating. It provides another perspective. IMO, coupled with Greg Mortesen's 3 Cups of Tea and US Army accounts, it gets us closer to defining what the problem is.

v/r

Mike