Word: supporter
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...Pakistani military saw the original Swat agreement and its concessions on Shari'a law as a way to pacify the bulk of the Taliban's popular support base, while isolating the more implacable jihadist element by denying them a key rallying issue. The generals don't share Clinton's view of the Taliban as some sort of external force invading territory the Pakistani military is obliged to protect; on the contrary, odious though it may be to the country's established political class and to the urban population that lives in the 21st century, the movement appears to be rooted...
Still, the army is reluctant to launch an all-out campaign against the militants, not least because of a widely held perception in Pakistan that the Taliban's rise is a product of America's unpopular war in Afghanistan. There's little support in the public - or within the ranks of the military - for deploying the military in a sustained civil war against the militants. Many in Pakistan were convinced that the Taliban had exceeded their bounds in Buner and Swat and needed to be pushed back - but not necessarily crushed. Whereas U.S. officials warn of the Taliban...
...defined. Prachanda then precipitated the crisis by trying to replace Katawal with the more pliable Lieut. Gen. Kul Bahadur Khadka. However, the Maoists' leftist allies in the legislature disagreed with the decision and, on Sunday, the Communist Party of Nepal and the Sadbhavana Party withdrew support from the government. Prachanda had two choices then: to attempt to set up an autocracy or to follow democratic principles. Prachanda announced his decision the next day: "I have resigned from the post of prime minister from today for the protection of democracy and peace...
Another reason analysts are optimistic is that the Maoists still have enough popular support. Nayak points out that in parliamentary by-elections for six seats last month, the Maoists won three. Also, they wouldn't want to turn international opinion against them again. "The last few months of Maoists' rule has shown a certain lack of statecraft," says Dixit, "They sought to weaken all institutions of state. Now they're faced with losing face while in government. Prachanda's decision is definitely good for his personal image, though his followers may be nonplussed...
...even completed one year. The President may ask the Nepali Congress [the second biggest party] to form a government, or may ask Prachanda to revoke his decision." A coup is almost ruled out: Nepal's army has no history of seeking political power, furthermore it knows it has the support of the President and the other political parties. "All other parties are working on permutations and combinations. Ideally, the Maoists should join a national all-party government - which would be in the best interest of the peace process," says Dixit, "If Prachanda can surprise us with a speech like today...