India-Pakistan: October 11, 2004

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Two of the 75 Chinese engineers and technicians working on a dam in South Waziristan, Pakistan, were kidnapped by local tribesmen three days ago. The kidnappers want the government to allow free passage to visit a tribal leader in the hills. Army troops are all over the place, looking for foreigners associated with al Qaeda. But the kidnappers grabbed the Chinese to help get past army roadblocks.

Despite a truce, and peace negotiations, Indian  Maoist rebels (there are several different groups in northern and central India) have refused to surrender their weapons, and have become more aggressive in challenging local police.