A provincial government official in the disputed area of Swat announced details of what he called a “permanent cease-fire” with the Taliban on Saturday.
But hours later, the most powerful Taliban leader in Swat, Maulana Fazlullah, said over his FM radio station that he had only agreed to a 10-day truce and would consider an extension at the end of that period.
The different positions suggested that the truce agreed to five days ago by the national government, under which the army would stop hostilities in exchange for being allowed to put in place a system of Islamic law, remained in flux.
That deal was widely criticized by Western governments and moderate Pakistanis who described it as a government surrender to ruthless militants. Now it appears that Mr. Fazlullah, whose forces have swept through the territory in the past six months, has not signed on to it.
The national government said Monday that it had agreed to a deal with another Taliban leader, Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who lacks the powerful forces of Mr. Fazlullah, his son-in-law. Mr. Fazlullah has the backing of the umbrella group of Pakistani Taliban, Tehrik-e-Taliban.
Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous nation, is reviving a family planning programme to encourage parents to consider having fewer children. Egypt’s population growth rate is two and a half times that of China, and about the same as India.
The government is aiming to bring down the average family size from 3 children to 2 by 2017. Amr El-Kahky reports for Al Jazeera.
Greece has become the main transit point for immigrants seeking entry into the European Union, but the country is struggling to cope with the growing numbers of refugees.
Nicole Itano reports from Athens, where people who came in hope of a brighter future are waiting to hand in their asylum applications.
Here’s Paul Krugman’s take on what drives the Rick Santellis of this world:
Where did this hostility to government come from? In 1981 Lee Atwater, the famed Republican political consultant, explained the evolution of the G.O.P.’s “Southern strategy,” which originally focused on opposition to the Voting Rights Act but eventually took a more coded form: “You’re getting so abstract now you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is blacks get hurt worse than whites.” In other words, government is the problem because it takes your money and gives it to Those People.
President Obama met 60 of the nation’s Mayors at the White House Friday, promising closer cooperation but urging them to spend the massive new infusion of government funds wisely.
The California Republicans are holding their annual convention this weekend up in Sacramento where party activists were attending workshops on “understanding how to build our party” and “strengthening the Republican brand.” Earlier this week, California lawmakers approved a budget that includes more than $12 billion in tax increases. Six, dare I say it, courageous, GOP lawmakers voted for the budget. But one man’s courageous lawmaker is another man’s rogue legislator. Via the San Francisco Chronicle:
A California Republican Party committee has voted to reprimand six GOP lawmakers who voted for a compromise budget plan that boosts taxes. The measure, which was endorsed Saturday during the party’s spring meeting in Sacramento, also denies the lawmakers any financial support from the party during the 2010 elections.
Only one of the six lawmakers faces re-election then, freshman Assemblyman Anthony Adams of Hesperia. The others could suffer, however, if they run for other positions or seek a statewide office.
The rogue lawmakers supported a $42 billion budget package negotiated between GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders from both parties.
The party’s vice-chairman for Southern California, John Fleischman, sponsored the resolution, which goes to a floor vote of the delegates on Sunday.
It’s not for me to comment on the internal ruminations of the Grand Obstructionist Party of California, but if they want to commit political suicide, that’s their business though I can only hope it is soon. I hate lingering political deaths. But I do question why the San Francisco Chronicle would refer to six GOP legislators who crossed the aisle as “rogue.” And then I wondered if would this committee reprimand the Governor for signing the budget but apparently one GOP delegate, Alex Burrola, has a different idea that has to be read to be believed.