Taliban Asserts Control Of North Waziristan; Tourism Dips
The Taliban has reportedly asserted control of North Waziristan, the famously wild mountainous region of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan. As a result, tourism in the area has taken a decided dip. As one American tourist commented, �I really like to visit places where television and music are forbidden. I�m also a big fan of summary executions. But, in the case of North Waziristan, I think I�ll make an exception.� The wifely half of an American couple who enjoy travel in the Middle East, said, �We�re so disappointed. My husband and I were really looking forward to a summer jaunt in North Waziristan. I hear it�s so wonderfully medieval.� President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, an invaluable ally of the United States in the war on terror, affirmed his stance, by saying, �We are determined to find and destroy tourists wherever we find them.� Then he caught his apparent slip of the tongue, and continued, �I�m sorry. I meant to say �terrorists,� not �tourists.�� However, the press was overwrought by his misstatement and whizzed it around the world in seconds. The rapidly spreading word-fire further discouraged recreational travel to North Waziristan. The sudden decline surprised some observers, since the region is rumored to play host to the world�s most wanted murderous scamp, Osama Bin Laden. The decline has also made it more difficult for visitors to the area from the CIA to pass themselves off as carefree travelers.
