The Taliban (specifically the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi) have a spokesman, curiously named Muslim Khan. Now as a spokesman, he is supposed to make… well… statements. It does not matter if next statement has no continuity, consistency, coherence with the last. Apparently years of enforcing religious fundamentalist laws, with a gun in one hand and a RPG launcher in the other, dulls your ability to see the difference or care about it.

Consider this… [Read more →]

Delivering a retort to Pakistan President Zardari’s expression of helplessness about the “non-state actors” in Pakistan indulging in terrorism, Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherji sarcastically said,

“Question is not of the non-state actors. Are they coming from heaven or they are coming from a different planet? They are located in the territory of a particular country. We are suggesting to Pakistan please act. Mere expression of intention is not adequate,”

Aah Mr. Mukherji… these “non-state actor” buggers don’t come from the heavens, man! They are “non-state actors” hoping to go there!

After Pakistan president Zardari has gone to town with the phrase “non-state actors”, now even Condoleeza Rice has started using that phrase. How newly coined phrases travel in diplomatic circles! But I strongly feel that “non-state actors” is phraseology aimed at deflecting the specter of sanctions that would inevitably follow if state of Pakistan is proven as a supporter of terrorism and thereby branded as a terrorist state.