New, More Hardline Pakistan Taliban Leader Rejects Peace Talks, As Expected

Pakistan’s
interior minister warned
last week that the killing of the leader of the Pakistani
Taliban in a US strike would be the “death of all peace talks”, and
it looks like that’s started.

From Reuters:

The Pakistani Taliban rejected the idea of peace talks
with the government on Thursday after electing hardline commander
Mullah Fazlullah, whose men shot schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai last
year, as their new leader on Thursday.

The rise of Fazlullah, known for his fierce Islamist views, by the
Taliban Shura council follows the Killing of Hakimullah Mehsud, the
previous leader or ameer, in a U.S. drone strike on November
1.

Lessons from the failure of the drug war’s “kingpin strategy”
apply here. A criminal organization’s leader removed by authorities
tends to be replaced by a more ruthless one.

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