Pakistan Goes After Tribes Seen as Harboring Al Qaeda Suspects
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PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Pakistani security forces cracked down Wednesday on two tribes accused of sheltering Al Qaeda suspects, arresting members, destroying homes and seizing vehicles, a government official said.
Three men who owned the homes where the suspects were hiding were asked to surrender, said Anwar Ali Shah, deputy administration chief at Wana, the headquarters of the fiercely autonomous Waziristan region.
He said their failure to do so led to Wednesday’s crackdown on the Kari Khel and Desi Khel tribes. “We began arresting the members of two tribes on Wednesday,” he said. “Now they will face a collective punishment.”
Shah refused to say how many people were taken into custody or when they would be charged.
Pakistani tribal laws allow authorities to arrest the entire tribe if any of its members break the law. Such actions can continue until the wanted men surrender.
Pakistan has been a key ally of the United States in Washington’s declared war on terror.
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