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Wed 05 May 2009Understanding ethnic dimension key to problem
ANALYSIS/OPINION:TO WESTERN eyes the struggle raging in Pakistan with the Taliban is about religious fanaticism. But in Pakistan it is about an explosive fusion of Islamist zeal and simmering ethnic tensions that have been exacerbated by US pressures for military action against the Taliban and its al-Qaeda allies.
Understanding the ethnic dimension of the conflict is the key to a successful strategy for separating the Taliban from al-Qaeda and stabilising multi-ethnic Pakistan politically.
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