Taliban Trickery

In a potential sign of true TTP desperation, Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq accused Blackwater of orchestrating various bombings, primarily the one at Islamic University in Islamabad and the blast in a Peshawar market.

It's not the first time the TTP blamed Blackwater, and at first glance the TTP's statement appears laughable. The Pakistani public has never opposed the TTP more and war in Waziristan isn't going their way. Tariq seems like run of the mill propaganda.

Yet Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, reports to no surprise, "There is a growing anger among Pakistanis. If one looks at the type of attacks that have been taking place - indiscriminate attacks – the first thing that came out, even reported by local media, was the blaming of Blackwater and other American agencies. The public opinion has turned against the Americans. The video that has appeared today would be trying to capitalize on that."

And the TTP has a good excuse. Remember that it denied both attacks at the university and in Peshawar; Hyder reports, "Even when those bomb blasts did happen, the Taliban denied they had anything to do it." They claim Blackwater is galvanizing the Pakistani public for military operations across the FATA.

Just like America wants. Who does this elaborate setup belong to, the TTP or President Obama?