Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and NSYNC: Difference between pages

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<nowiki></nowiki>{{for|their self-titled album|*NSYNC (album)}}
{{Infobox War
{{Infobox Musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
|image=[[Image:NWFP FATA.svg|300px]]
|Name = NSYNC
|caption=District map of [[NWFP]] and [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas|FATA]].
|Img = <!-- NSYNC.jpg -->
|conflict=War in North-West Pakistan
|Img_capt = The members of 'N Sync. From left: JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass and Justin Timberlake.
|partof= the [[War on Terrorism]]
|Img_size = 250 pixels
|date=March 2004&ndash;ongoing
|Landscape = yes
|place=[[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]] and [[North-West Frontier Province]] in [[Pakistan]]
|Background = group_or_band
|result=ongoing
|Origin = [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[Florida]], [[USA]]
|combatant1={{flag|Pakistan}},<br>{{flag|United States}}
|Genre =[[Teen pop]], [[Pop music|Pop]], [[contemporary R&B]]<ref name="www.amazon.com">{{cite news| title=Celebrity *NSYNC|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|accessdate=2007-12-03|url=http://www.amazon.com/Celebrity-NSYNC/dp/B00005LD1A}}</ref>
|combatant2={{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan]],<br>[[Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi]],<br>[[Lashkar-e-Islam]],<br>[[Image:Flag of Jihad.svg|22px]] [[al-Qaeda]], <br> [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]] (until 2007)
|Years_active = 1995—2002
|commander1={{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Asif Ali Zardari]],<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[General]] [[Ashfaq Parvez Kayani|Ashfaq Kayani]],<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Lt Gen]] [[Masood Aslam]],<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Maj Gen Javed Iqbal,<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Maj Gen Tariq Khan,<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Maj Gen Nasser Janjua,<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Maj Gen Khalid Rabbani<br>''Former commanders''<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[General|Gen]] [[Pervez Musharraf]],<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} Lt Gen Safdar Hussain,<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Maj Gen]] [[Alam Khattak]],<br>{{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Maj Gen]] [[Ahmad Shuja Pasha|Ahmad S Pasha]]
|Label = [[RCA Records]] <small>(1998-1999)</small><br>[[Jive Records]] <small>(1999-2004)</small>
|commander2={{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Baitullah Mehsud]],<br>{{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Hafiz Gul Bahadur]],<br>{{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Faqir Mohammed]],<br>[[Maulana Fazlullah]],<br>[[Mangal Bagh]]<br>''Fugitives''<br>[[Image:Flag of Jihad.svg|22px]] [[Osama bin Laden]],<br>[[Image:Flag of Jihad.svg|22px]] [[Ayman al Zawahiri]],<br>{{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} Mullah [[Mohammed Omar]],<br>{{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]],<br>[[Tohir Yo‘ldosh]]
|Associated_acts = [[Britney Spears]], [[Backstreet Boys]]
|strength1=80,000 Pakistani troops<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aCkMAj8lVUB8&refer=home Bloomberg.com: Worldwide<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>,<br>~80,000 [[Frontier Corps]]
|URL =
|strength2=Unknown
|Current members =
|casualties1=1,370 soldiers and policemen killed (official)<ref>http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hkiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD93GH45O1</ref><br><br>Other estimates:<br>1,815 soldiers and policemen killed<br>112 tribesmen killed<small><ref name=autogenerated4>http://in.news.yahoo.com/071114/139/6n8m0.html</ref></small>,<br>2,259 soldiers wounded<small><ref name=autogenerated4 /></small>,<br>810 soldiers and policemen missing or captured<ref>[http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=9870 Over 200 soldiers in captivity of militants By Mushtaq Yusufzai & Sailab Mahsud] [[September 3]], [[2007]] [[The News International, Pakistan]]</ref>
|Past_members = [[Justin Timberlake]]<br>[[JC Chasez]]<br>[[Lance Bass]]<br>[[Joey Fatone]]<br>[[Chris Kirkpatrick]]
|casualties2=4,594+ [[militant]]s killed<small><ref>http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=15771</ref><ref>http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/26/content_10118035.htm</ref></small><br>(488 foreign fighters <ref name=autogenerated2 />)
|casualties3=5,320 civilians killed,<br>25 foreigners killed<br>(11 Frenchmen, 9 Americans, 4 Chinese, 1 Czech, 1 Dane, 1 Turk and 1 Vietnamese)<ref>[http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=15292</ref><ref>http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hkiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD93GH45O1</ref><ref>http://www.gmanews.tv/story/123833/Suicide-attacks-soar-in-Pakistan-since-2007</ref>
}}
}}
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{{Campaignbox Waziristan}}
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{{Campaignbox War on Terrorism}}
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<!--NOTE: This page is for discussing the band of NSYNC as a whole, not the personal lives of the |members of the band. Information concerning the sexuality, relationship history, etc. of certain members is appropriate solely for the pages about the individual band members. This page should contain only information that directly pertains to the band as a whole.
The '''War in North-West Pakistan''' is an armed conflict between the [[Pakistani Army]] and Islamist militants made up by local tribesmen, the [[Taliban]] and foreign extremists.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012401528.html The War in Pakistan - washingtonpost.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=176983 FEATURE-Pakistan lifts veil on not-so-secret Waziristan war<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3645114.stm BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan's undeclared war<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It began in 2004 when tensions rooted in the Pakistani Army's search for [[al-Qaeda]] members in [[Pakistan]]'s mountainous [[Waziristan]] area (in the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan|Federally Administered Tribal Areas]]) escalated into armed resistance by local tribesmen.
Also, DO NOT CHANGE ANY PARTS OF THIS ARTICLE FROM 'N Sync TO *NSYNC. It's against Wikipedia policies. For More Info, please see WP:NAME#Music and WP:Manual of Style (trademarks).
-->
''''N Sync''' (often stylized '''*NSYNC''') are Grammy-nominated musical group. The group's launch to fame was financed by the [[fraud]]ulent [[boy band]] mogul [[Lou Pearlman]]. and since 1995, 'N Sync has sold over 56 million records worldwide.<ref name="Worldwide Sales">{{citeweb|author=Gutierrez, Pedro Ruz|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-mpearlman2807jan28,0,7354100.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-orange|title=Pearlman's Money Woes Follow Him Downtown}}</ref>


Formed in [[Orlando, Florida]] in 1995, the group consisted of [[Justin Timberlake]], [[JC Chasez]], [[Lance Bass]], [[Joey Fatone]] and [[Chris Kirkpatrick]]. The name is derived from the last letter of the members names: Justi-N, Chri-S, Joe-Y, Lance-N (though ORIGINALLY the 'N' came from and original member named Jason before Lance was found), J-C. After heavily publicized legal battles with their former manager [[Lou Pearlman]] and former record label [[Sony BMG]], the group's 2000 album ''[[No Strings Attached ('N Sync album)|No Strings Attached]]'' sold 1.1 million copies in one day and 2.4 million copies in one week, giving it the highest first week album sales ever in US and #5 worldwide, and their 2001 album, ''[[Celebrity (album)|Celebrity]]'', holds the record for the second-highest first full week of sales.<ref name="Celebrity Sales Record">{{cite web| date = September 28, 2007| url =http://50.lycos.com/080201.html| title =The Lycos Daily Report| publisher =Lycos| accessdate =2006-07-26}}</ref> In addition to a host of [[Grammy]] nominations, 'N Sync has performed at the [[Academy Awards]], the [[World Series]], the [[Super Bowl]] and the [[Olympics]], and sang or recorded duets with the likes of [[Aerosmith]], [[Mary J Blige]], [[Britney Spears]], [[Nelly]], [[Michael Jackson]], [[The Jackson Five]], [[Stevie Wonder]], [[Celine Dion]], and [[Gloria Estefan]]. The group also appeared as themselves on ''[[The Simpsons]]'', in an episode entitled "[[New Kids on the Blecch]]", which aired on February 25, 2001.
Clashes erupted between the Pakistani troops and al-Qaeda's and other militants joined by local rebels and pro-Taliban forces. The Pakistani actions were presented as a part of the [[War on Terrorism]], and had connections to the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|war]] and [[Taliban insurgency]] in [[Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Killing scares media away from Waziristan|url= http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0622/p07s02-wosc.html|publisher=[[Christian Science Monitor]]|date=2006-06-22|author=David Montero|accessdate=2008-08-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pakistan attacks Waziristan compound|url= http://english.aljazeera.net/archive/2006/06/2008410114854246429.html |publisher=[[Al Jazeera]]|date=2006-03-16|accessdate=2008-08-25}}</ref>


While 'N Sync announced a "temporary [[hiatus]]" in spring 2002, the band has not recorded new material since. The group's official website shut down in summer of 2006, and in 2007, Lance Bass confirmed that the group has "definitely broken up."<ref name="BrokenUp">{{cite web |author=Abbott, Jim |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-bass2307oct23,0,2291743,print.story?coll=orl_mezz |title=Lance Bass Book Comes Out |accessdate=2007-10-23 |publisher=The Orlando Sentinel}}</ref>
After a [[Waziristan Accord|truce]] in September 2006, clashes escalated again in 2007, with local tribesmen ousting militant Uzbeks and attacking the Pakistani security forces again in July 2007.


They were parodied in the [[VeggieTales]] series as ''Boyz in the Sink'' who were seen in [[The Ballad of Little Joe]] (2003) and [[Moe and the Big Exit]] (2007) for the [[Silly Songs with Larry|Silly Song]] segments. {{Fact|date= September 2008}}
Since the conflict began, Pakistan has lost more than twice the number of its soldiers compared to the number of US troops killed in Afghanistan. However, as of September 2008, the number of militants killed by the Pakistan Army reached the 4,500 mark.<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4111277.ece</ref>


===Breaking the American market: 1998-1999===
==Background==
The group released their American first single, "I Want You Back" in January 1998. The song became a moderate success, peaking at #13 on the [[Billboard Hot 100]]. They followed up with their self-titled album on March 24, 1998. Initially album sales were sluggish, debuting at #82 on the [[Billboard 200]]. Sales began to pick up when Disney Channel aired an original Concert on July 18, 1998. The concert sent the album rocketing up the charts: three weeks preceding the concert, the album sat at #85 on the albums chart. Three weeks after the concert, the album had reached #9. The group released their second single, "Tearin' Up My Heart", that same month. It shot to the top of radio airplay charts and got regular play on [[MTV]] (especially on a new show called [[Total Request Live]]). This further increased the group's visibility and sales for the album, which eventually peaked at #2 in October of 1998. Constant touring, including an opening spot on [[Janet Jackson]]'s [[Velvet Rope]] Tour, helped maintain the group's momentum. Eventually, the album went on to be certified for sales of over 11 million by the [[RIAA]].
===July 2002: Initial troop movements===
In July 2002, Pakistani troops entered the [[Tirah|Tirah Valley]] in the [[Khyber Agency]] for the first time since Pakistan independence in 1947. They proceeded to move into the [[Shawal Valley]] of [[North Waziristan]], and later [[South Waziristan]]. This was made possible after long negotiations with various tribes, who reluctantly agreed to allow the military's presence on the assurance that it would bring in funds and development work.


The group appeared in the TV series [[Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)]] on February 5, 1999 at the height of their popularity, performing "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "[[God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You]]" in an episode where Sabrina acquires a magical fake ID to attend their concert.
However, once the military action started in South Waziristan a number of Waziri sub-tribes viewed the action as an attempt to subjugate them. As attempts to persuade them to hand over the foreign militants failed, and missteps by the authorities increased feelings of ill-will, the security campaign against suspected al-Qaeda militants turned into an undeclared war in 2004 between the Pakistani military and the rebel tribesmen.


'N Sync's 1998 hit, "Tearin' Up My Heart" was also featured as #30 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of The 90's" in 2007, 9 years later.
===December 2003: Waziri attempts on President Musharraf's life===
In December 2003, two assassination attempts against President [[Pervez Musharraf]] were traced to Waziristan. The government responded by intensifying military pressure on the area, however the fighting was costly and government forces would sustain heavy casualties throughout 2004 and into early 2005 when the government switched to a tactic of negotiation instead of direct conflict.<ref name=rohde>{{cite news | title = Al Qaeda Finds Its Center of Gravity | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/weekinreview/10rohde.html | first = David | last = Rohde | publisher = New York Times | date = [[2006-09-10]] | accessdate = 2006-09-12 }}</ref>


On November 10, 1998, the group released a holiday album, ''[[Home for Christmas ('N Sync album)|Home for Christmas]]''. The album peaked at #7 and sold over 2 million copies. With this, 'N Sync achieved the rare feet of having two albums in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time. The group scored their first top 10 on the Hot 100 with their third single, "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time on You", which peaked #8 in February of 1999. Country group [[Alabama]] later re-recorded the song and released it as a single that featured vocals from 'N Sync. The fourth and final single from the album, "[[I Drive Myself Crazy]]", was a modest chart hit but a mainstay on [[TRL]].
==Timeline==
===March 2004–September 2006 phase===
====2004: Fighting breaks out====
{{main|Battle of Wana}}
In March 2004, heavy fighting broke out at Azam Warsak, near the South Waziristan town of [[Wana (Pakistan)|Wana]]. Pakistani troops faced an estimated 400 militants holed up in several fortified settlements. It was speculated at the time that [[Osama bin Laden]]'s deputy [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] was among those trapped by the Pakistani Army, but he either escaped or was never among these fighters.


In September of 1999 the group collaborated with [[Gloria Estefan]] on a song for the soundtrack for her movie, ''[[Music of the Heart]]''. The track, "[[Music of My Heart]]", reached #2 on the strength of its single sales, and served as a stopgap between album releases.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
====Peace deals with Taliban====
In April 2004 the [[Government of Pakistan]] signed the first of three peace agreements with militants in [[South Waziristan]]. It was signed with [[Taliban]] commander [[Nek Muhammad Wazir]], but was immediately abrogated once Nek Muhammad was killed by American [[Hellfire missile]] in June 2004. The second was signed in February 2005 with Nek's successor [[Baitullah Mehsud]], which brought relative calm in the [[South Waziristan]] region. This deal will be later mimicked in the neighboring [[North Waziristan]] territory in September 2006 as the third and final truce between the government and the militants. However, all of these truces would not have a substantial effect in reducing bloodshed.<ref name=rohde /> The later two deals were officially broken in August 2007 after the [[Lal Masjid siege|Lal Masjid episode]] raising the suicide attacks on forces and civilians [[Terrorism in Pakistan#July - September|ten-fold throughout the country]].


GInGer spice loves nsync!!! they are hott sexy boys:)
====2005====
On [[May 4]], [[2005]], Pakistani commandos captured [[Abu Faraj al-Libbi]] after a raid outside the town of [[Mardan]], 30 miles north of Peshwar. Abu Farraj al-Libbi was a high ranking al-Qaeda official, rumored to be third after Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Libbi replaced [[Khalid Shaikh Mohammed]] after his arrest in March 2003 in connection with the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11th attacks]]. The Pakistani government arrested al-Libbi and held him on charges in relation to being a chief planner in two assassination attempts on the life of President Pervez Musharraf in December 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-05-04-pakistan-arrest_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA |title=Pakistan reports arrest of Osama bin Laden's operations chief | author=John Diamond | publisher=USA Today |date=2005-05-04}}</ref>


====2006====
===Legal battles===
In 1998, 'N Sync experienced a highly publicized legal battle with Lou Pearlman, due to what the group believed were illicit business practices on his part.<ref name="Pearlman1">{{cite web |author=Manning, Kara |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1432531/19991124/n_sync.jhtml |title='N Sync Scores Small Victory As Legal Battle Begins |publisher=MTV News, November 24, 1999|accessdate=2007-10-26}}</ref> 'N Sync sued Pearlman and his record company, Trans Continental, for [[fraud|defrauding]] the group of more than 50% of their earnings, rather than his original promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits.<ref name="Pearlman1" /> The group threatened to leave and sign with [[Jive Records]], which prompted Pearlman and RCA to countersue *NSYNC for $150 million US, citing [[breach of contract]].<ref name="Countersuit">{{cite web|author=Wolk, Josh. | date = October 13, 1999| url =http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,84723,00.html| title ='N Court| publisher =Entertainment Weekly| accessdate =2007-12-03}}</ref> The injunction was thrown out of court.<ref name="Pearlman1" /> After reaching a settlement out of court<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/nsync/articles/story/5922830/n_sync_and_trans_con_settle Rolling Stone Dec 29, 1999] N Sync and Trans Con Settle ''N Sync vs. Trans Con: the music biz's nastiest legal battle of the decade''</ref>, *NSYNC signed with Jive.<ref name="Jive">{{cite web| url =http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Zomba-Records-Ltd-Company-History.html| title =Zomba Records, LTD: Company History| publisher =FundingUniverse.com| accessdate =2007-12-04}}</ref>
[[Image:Pakistan-Waziristan-Map.png|200px|thumb|left]]
On [[January 13]], [[2006]], the U.S. launched an [[Damadola airstrike|airstrike on the village of Damadola]]. The attack occurred in the [[Bajaur]] tribal area, about 7 km (4.5 miles) from the Afghan border, and killed at least 18 people. The attack again targeted Ayman al-Zawahiri, but later evidence suggests he was not there. [[DNA analysis]] showed that at least five high-ranking al-Qaeda foreigners were killed, including [[Midhat Mursi]], a bomb building expert, for whom a $5 million award was offered.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


===Groundbreaking success===
On [[March 4]], [[2006]], Pakistani forces started a massive assault on pro-Taliban elements in the region. Pakistani officials said 46 militants and five soldiers died after fighting erupted, although some reports put the death toll at over 70.{{Fact|date=March 2007}}
With their legal woes behind them, 'N Sync refocused and worked on tracks for their second album. In January 2000, the group released "[[Bye Bye Bye]]", an upbeat dance track, which shot into the top 5 of the Hot 100 and would spend 5 weeks atop the [[Hot 100 Airplay]] chart. The song is often considered the group's [[signature song]].They performed at the [[Latin Grammy]] show in 2001 singing the Spanish version of their song, [[This I Promise You]], "Yo Te Voy A Amar."


The accompanying album, ''[[No Strings Attached ('N Sync album)|No Strings Attached]]'', was released on March 21, 2000. It sold a record 2 million in its first week of release. An estimated 1 million of those sales were attributed to the first day of release, another record. By the end of 2000, it had sold over 9.9 million copies, a record for most albums ever sold in a single year. ''No Strings Attached'' is currently the eighth best selling album of the [[SoundScan era]], with sales of over 11,099,000. The album also broke the Amazon sales records.[http://www.allbusiness.com/retail/retailers-book-music-hobby-stores-stores/6414390-1.html]
On [[June 21]], [[2006]], pro-Taliban militants in the [[Bannu]] region of North Waziristan stated they shot down a military [[helicopter]] that was reported to have crashed. The government denied missile fire as the cause, stating it was due to technical faults. On the same day militants killed an inspector and two constables on a road connecting Bannu and the main town of [[Miranshah]]; the police officers were reportedly ambushed and killed while praying alongside their vehicle.<ref>{{cite news | title = 'Policemen killed' in Waziristan | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5104784.stm | publisher = BBC News | date = [[2006-06-22]] | accessdate = 2006-08-07 }}</ref>


Their second single, "[[It's Gonna Be Me]]", became the group's first #1 single. The third and final single, "[[This I Promise You]]" also reached the top 5. It also became the groups first #1 on the AC chart. All 3 singles from the album reached the top 5
====June 2006: Ceasefire====
Also on [[June 21]], [[2006]] the military head of the Taliban in Waziristan, [[Sirajuddin Haqqani]], issued a decree that it was no longer Taliban policy to fight the Pakistan Army. This marked the end of significant fighting in South Waziristan, however the Taliban intentionally did not circulate the decree in North Waziristan thereby keeping pressure on the Government as the terms for a comprehensive accord were worked out.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/2006/06/23/top2.htm|title=Forces, militants heading for truce|publisher=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|date=2006-06-22}}</ref>


The group also embarked on a World ''[[No Strings Attached Tour]]'' that year. Tickets for the first leg sold an amazing 1 million in the first day on sale, and all venues except one stadium sold out the first day. The stage was a third bigger than their previous tour, and featured a moving platform to allow the group to get closer to the crowd.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} The adventures of preparing for the tour were featured on an MTV special "[[Making the Tour]]", which was later released on DVD. The tour was then featured on a HBO special, that aired the same week the group's song "It's Gonna Be Me" hit #1 on the charts. The group then went on the second leg of the tour in the fall and performed one last show in 2001 for the "[[Rock in Rio]]" concert. The group also performed The [[Bee Gees]] Medley in 2001.
On [[June 26]], [[2006]], a [[suicide bomber|suicide car bomb]]er killed nine Pakistani soldiers. Officials say that the explosives-laden vehicle detonated about six kilometres (four miles) east of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan region.<ref>{{cite news | title = 'Suicide attack' on Pakistan army | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5117472.stm | publisher = BBC News | date = [[2006-06-26]] | accessdate = 2006-08-07 }}</ref>


The group also released ''[[Live From Madison Square Garden]]'', a home video release of the group's HBO Special.
====September 2006: Waziristan peace accord signed====
On [[September 5]] [[2006]], the [[Waziristan Accord]], an agreement between tribal leaders and the Pakistani government was signed in Miranshah, North Waziristan.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525988190&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Pakistan, Taliban militants sign peace agreement]</ref> to end all fighting. The agreement includes the following provisions:<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/2006/09/06/top2.htm Waziristan accord signed]</ref>


===''Celebrity'' and "Pop"===
* The Pakistani Army will help reconstruct infrastructure in tribal areas of North and South Waziristan.
The group's third album, ''[[Celebrity (album)|Celebrity]]'', released on July 24, 2001, holds the record for the second-highest first full week of sales<ref name="Celebrity Sales Record" />. The album produced three singles: "[[Pop (song)|Pop]]" (#19 US), "Gone" (#11 US) and "Girlfriend" (#5 US). The album featured much more creative involvement from the group, especially Chasez and Timberlake, who wrote and produced several of the tracks. The album was also notably more heavily influenced by [[hip-hop]] than the groups' previous releases. As such, rapper [[Nelly]] contributed a verse to a remix of the single "Girlfriend". The album was generally well-received, but album sales were substantially less than previous releases.
* The Pakistani Military will not tolerate any assistance to intruders in North Waziristan, and will monitor actions in the region.
* The Pakistan government is to compensate tribal leaders for the loss of life and property of innocent tribesmen.
* “Foreigners” (informally understood to be foreign [[jihad]]ists) are not allowed to use Pakistani territory for any terrorist activity anywhere in the world.
* 2,500 foreigners who were originally held on suspicion of having links to al-Qaeda or the Taliban<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/15/wpak15.xml US outraged as Pakistan frees Taliban fighters] - [[Daily Telegraph]]</ref> were to be detained for necessary action against them.
<!---* The Taliban is required to refrain from violence anywhere using Pakistan's territory; the agreement does not stipulate refraining from violence specifically in [[Afghanistan]].<ref name=thefourthrail>{{cite news | title = Talibanistan: The Establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan| url = http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/09/talibanistan_the_est.php | publisher = The Fourth Rail| date = [[2006-09-05]] | accessdate = 2006-09-05 }}</ref> --->


To help support the ''Celebrity'' album, the group embarked on a four-month stadium tour entitled the Pop Odyssey Tour. The outing began in May, two months before the CD's release. It was the largest tour in the history of the music business, it took over 90 trucks to haul all the pieces. The stage took three days to put together, so the group had three sets of steel stages, so crews could put that together while the group was performing at another venue. Together, they could have two full stages set up. The stage featured a catwalk which led to a second, satellite stage, in the middle of the stadium. The stage also featured many other [[trapdoor]]s, stair cases coming out of the video screens, harnesses to allow the guys to fly over the audience and many other features. It was also the group's first tour to feature dancers. Over two million fans attended the concerts, and the tour grossed over 90 million US dollars. A video of the concert was later released on home video, ''[[PopOdyssey Live]]''.
The agreement, dubbed the Waziristan accord, has been viewed by some political commentators as a success for Pakistan.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Sep13/0,4670,PakistanTruceorSurrenderLH1,00.html Some See Pakistan's Truce As a Defeat] - [[Fox news]]</ref> Further details of the agreement, as well as comments on the agreement made by US, Pakistani, and Taliban spokesmen is available in the Waziristan accord article.


===''After Celebrity''===
====October 2006: The madrassa air strike====
After the group's 2002 Celebrity tour, they went on hiatus. The group still went to award shows and events together, and regrouped at the 2003 Grammy Awards to sing the Bee Gees Medley in tribute to the Bee Gees. It was the group's last televised performance. The last public performance for 'N Sync was at the group's 2004 Annual Challenge for the Children, where the group performed "The Star Spangled Banner". It was a fitting final performance considering "The Star Spangled Banner" was the first song the group ever sang together.
On [[October 30]], [[2006]], the Pakistani army [[Chenagai airstrike|conducted an air strike]], with possible U.S. involvement, against a [[madrassa]] in the [[Bajaur]] region bordering [[Afghanistan]]. The madrassa was destroyed killing 70 to 80 people.


In 2005, the five regrouped one last time for the last *NSYNC Challenge For The Children, but the group did not perform.
In retaliation for the attack the militants conducted a suicide bombing on an army camp on [[November 8]], [[2006]], killing 42 Pakistani soldiers and wounding 20.
In the fall of 2005, *NSYNC released a greatest hits album. It included one song, "I'll Never Stop", that had previously not been released in America.


==Marketing==
===March–April 2007 phase===
The group licensed their likenesses on large number of merchandise, including board games, microphones, lip balm, marionettes, books, key chains, bedding, clothing, video games<ref>[http://www.thatchickensite.com/letters/nsync Game Review: 'N Sync Hotline]</ref>, and various other articles. The group also had a deal alongside [[Britney Spears]] with [[McDonald's]], which included commercials featuring the group and Spears, along with a CD and a video that featured behind-the-scenes footage from the making of NSYNC's music video. The vocal group also had a deal with [[Chili's|Chili's Grill & Bar]] in which the members appeared in commercials for the restaurant, while Chili's helped sponsor the group's tour.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
In March, Pakistan signed a peace treaty with [[Faqir Mohammed]], the Taliban leader in Bajaur.<ref>{{cite news | title =Pakistan signs the Bajaur Accord| author =Roggio B| publisher =The Long War Journal| date=17 March 2007| url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/03/pakistan_signs_the_b.php}} Retrieved on 14 January 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite news | title =Bajaur: When 'Peace' Yields War| author =Stakelbeck E| publisher =CBN News| date=3 April 2007| url=http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/130966.aspx}} Retrieved on 14 January 2008.</ref> The Taliban now held three districts in the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]]: [[South Waziristan]], [[North Waziristan]] and [[Bajaur Agency]].<ref>{{cite news | author =Roggio B| title =The fall of northwestern Pakistan: An online history| publisher =The Long War Journal| url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2006/09/the_fall_of_wazirist.php}} Retrieved on 13 January 2008.</ref>


====Waziri-Uzbek tensions====
===Awards===
The group has multiple RIAA awards. These include three Diamond Awards, four platinum home video releases, and multiple platinum awards for the group's records.
Reportedly, the fighting sparked by the killing of [[Saiful Adil]], an [[al-Qaeda]]-linked Arab, blamed on the [[Uzbeks]] by [[Maulavi Nazir]], described as a top pro-Taliban militant commander in the region. According to the other version, fighting started after Mullah Nazir, whom the government says has come over to its side, ordered the Uzbek followers of [[Tohir Yo‘ldosh]], formerly a close confidant of [[Osama bin Laden]], to disarm. It was also preceded by the clashes between the [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan|IMU]] and a pro-government tribal leader in [[Azam Warsak]], in which 17 to 19 people died before a [[ceasefire]] was announced.<ref>{{cite news | title =Rival militants clash in Pakistan | publisher =BBC| date=20 March 2007| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6470299.stm}}{{Failed verification|date=January 2008}}</ref>


==Hiatus==
====Defeat of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan====
The group went on an extended hiatus in 2002, as Timberlake released his solo album ''[[Justified (album)|Justified]]'' on November 4, 2002; Chasez then proceeded to release ''[[Schizophrenic (album)|Schizophrenic]]'', on February 24, 2004. Timberlake released his second album, ''[[FutureSex/LoveSounds]]'' on September 12, 2006.
[[Sirajuddin Haqqani]], the son of Taliban leader [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]], tried to stop the fighting but failed. Local Taliban militants allied to the tribesmen were reported attacking and seizing the IMU's private jail in Azam Warsak. The Pakistan Army said did not intend to step in, but witnesses say government artillery fired on the Uzbek bunkers they set up to fight the tribesmen.


Chasez has a follow-up album in the works.{{specify}} Chasez also helped co-write songs for a few other artists, notably the song "Treat Me Right" for former rival boy band, the [[Backstreet Boys]], on their 2007 album "[[Unbreakable (Backstreet Boys album)|Unbreakable]]". Chasez can also be seen as a judge on MTV's [[Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew]].
Heavy fighting resumed on March 29, ending a week-long ceasefire between tribal fighters and foreign militants. According to initial reports, tribesmen attacked a checkpoint manned by Uzbek militants and captured two of them. The clashes also left one tribal fighter dead and three wounded. The following day, a senior Pakistani official announced that 52 people were killed during the past two days, 45 of them Uzbeks and the rest tribesmen. One of Maulvi Nazir's aides put the death toll at 35 Uzbeks and 10 tribal fighters. However, residents in the area said that the death toll on both sides was inflated.


Chris Kirkpatrick closed his clothing business, FuManSkeeto, and has become involved with several [[Indie (music)|indie]]/[[punk rock]] bands on a business level, including [[Hawaii]]-based [[National Product]]. He has also recorded as a solo artist as well as with his other band, Nigels 11. He has also done voice work for the [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]] show ''[[The Fairly Oddparents]]'' as teen heart-throb [[Chip Skylark]]. Kirkpatrick's latest project is involvement in a reality television show named "[[Mission: Man Band]]" aired on [[VH1]]. The show features a cast of former boy band members which includes [[Rich Cronin]] of [[Lyte Funky Ones|LFO]], [[Jeff Timmons]] of [[98 Degrees]] and Bryan Abrams of [[Color Me Badd]]. The premise of the show: to form a [[boyband]] with various members of successful pop acts from the past. The four named their group [[Sureshot]] and were shopping around for a record deal, and a possible second season of the show. Kirpatrick is now on the second season of Gone Country on CMT.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
The conflict further escalated on April 2 when a council of elders declared jihad against foreign militants and started to raise an army of tribesmen. According to Pakistani security officials, heavy fighting concentrated in the village of Doza Ghundai left more than 60 people dead, including 50 foreigners, 10 tribal fighters and one Pakistani soldier. He also said that "dozens" of Uzbeks had surrendered to tribal forces and that many bunkers used by militants were seized or destroyed.


Lance Bass became [[NASA]]-certified [[cosmonaut]]<ref name="Cosmonaut 1">{{cite web | title=Hairspray Cast Bios - Lance Bass| publisher=Hairspray the Musical| url=http://www.hairspraythemusical.com/cast.php | accessdate=August 14 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> after months of training in Russia in 2002, but has yet to realize his goal of heading into outer space due to lack of funding from financial backers. He opened a film production company, ''Bacon and Eggs'', which produced several films including 2007's ''[[Lovewrecked]]''. He also starred in his own movie, ''[[On the Line (film)|On the Line]]'', with fellow bandmember [[Joey Fatone]]. In 2006, after months of media speculation, Bass confirmed that he is [[homosexuality|gay]] in a front page cover story for ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine.<ref name="Gay">{{cite web| date = July 26, 2006| url =http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1219142,00.html| title =Lance Bass: I'm Gay| publisher =People (magazine)|People| accessdate =2006-07-26}}</ref> Following the revelation, Bass's love life has become fodder for many American [[blog]]s and [[tabloid]]s. His [[autobiography]], ''[[Out of Sync]]'', was released on October 23, 2007. It has been confirmed that he will participate as a contestant on [[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)]]'s 7th season. He will be partnered with former [[So You Think You Can Dance]] season 3 finalist, [[Lacey Schwimmer]]. He has a cameo in the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder.
On [[April 12]] [[2007]] the army general in charge of South Waziristan said that tribal fighters had cleared the Uzbeks out of the valleys surrounding [[Wana (Pakistan)|Wana]] and the foreign militants had been pushed back into the mountains on the Afghan border.<ref>{{cite news | title =Tribesmen 'oust' foreign fighters | author =Plett B| publisher =BBC| date=12 April 2007| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6547783.stm}} Retrieved on 16 January 2008.</ref> Four days later, the local tribesmen has urged [[Islamabad]] to resume control of law and order in the area.<ref>{{cite news | title =Tribe in Pakistan security plea | publisher =BBC| date=16 April 2007| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6559365.stm}} Retrieved on 16 January 2008.</ref>


Joey Fatone has appeared in films such as ''[[My Big Fat Greek Wedding]]'', ''[[The Cooler]]'', an experimental musical version of ''[[Red Riding Hood (film)|Red Riding Hood]]'', and ''Homie Spumoni''. On [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], Fatone starred in ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'' and ''[[Little Shop of Horrors (musical play)#Revised revival|Little Shop Of Horrors]]''. In September 2004, Fatone married his long-time girlfriend, Kelly Baldwin, at a chateau on [[Long Island]]. The couple has a daughter together named Briahna. He was the 2007 runner-up on ''[[Dancing with the Stars (US TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]''.<ref>[http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C05%5C25%5Cstory_25-5-2007_pg9_2 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He then starred as a retired baseball player, Joey Vitolo, on the Disney Channel series ''[[Hannah Montana]]'', and is currently hosting [[NBC]]'s ''[[The Singing Bee]]'' as well TV Guide Hetworks' Red Carpet for awards shows such as the [[2008 Screen Actors Guild awards]] and the [[2008 Academy Awards]].
===July 2007–February 2008 phase===
{{main|2007 timeline of the War in Waziristan}}


====Lal Masjid siege====
===Future albums===
According to Jive Records, 'N Sync signed a contract guaranteeing a minimum of five albums.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} As of 2008, they have delivered four (self titled '''N Sync'', ''No Strings Attached'', ''Celebrity'', and a greatest hits album). Plans for the group to work on their next album have been discussed, but never realized. One of the first signs that the group's future was in jeopardy was in 2006, the first year in which the group did not reunite for Challenge for the Children, its annual charity event.
On [[July 3]], [[2007]], the militant supporters of Lal Masjid and Pakistani security forces clashed in Islamabad after the students from the mosque attacked a nearby government ministry building. The Pakistani security forces immediately put up a [[Lal Masjid siege|siege around the mosque complex]] which lasted until July 11 and resulted in 108 deaths. This represented the main catalyst for the conflict and eventual breakdown of the truce that existed between Pakistan and the Taliban in the northwest. Already during the siege there were several attacks in Waziristan in retaliation for the siege.


In 2006, Timberlake was interviewed on an episode of [[MTV]]'s ''All Eyes On'' series and said that he was responsible for 'N Sync's extended break.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} He also mentioned that even if the band were to re-unite now, he was unsure of what they would be able to accomplish, as the music they were once famous for has since decreased in popularity.
====Truce in Waziristan broken====
As the siege in Islamabad ensued, several attacks on Pakistani troops in Waziristan were reported. On [[July 14]], [[2007]], a suicide bomber attacked a Pakistani Army convoy killing 26 soldiers and wounding 54. On [[July 15]], [[2007]], two suicide bombers attacked another Pakistani Army convoy killing 16 soldiers and 5 civilians and wounding another 47 people. And in a separate incident a fourth suicide bomber attacked a police headquarters killing 28 police officers and recruits and wounding 35 people.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289340,00.html FOXNews.com - Two Days of Homicide Attacks Kill 70 in Pakistan - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/fairenough/nytA31.html Suicide Bombers Kill 49 in Pakistan<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


Although there are currently no plans set for a reunion in the near future, members of the group have continued to work together on occasion. On August 31, 2006, Timberlake reunited with former bandmate Chasez on his SexyBack tour at the [[Roseland Ballroom]]. Chasez performed "Until Yesterday", a single off of his upcoming album; Kate.<ref> (see Love sexy ; A sexy single and Prince-influenced album send ex-'N Sync hottie Justin Timberlake back to No. 1. Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minn.: September 17, 2006. pg. 6) </ref>
The assault on the Red Mosque prompted pro-Taliban rebels along the border with Afghanistan to scrap the controversial [[Waziristan Accord]] with the government. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6905808.stm BBC NEWS | South Asia | Scores killed in Pakistan attacks<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


Several members of the group have been vocal about their hopes that the band will come together for another album. In an interview with [[WIHT]] on September 7, 2007, Kirkpatrick said, "We're all friends. [The band] didn't officially ever "break-up", you know, and there will always be room for [a reunion]. As much as a lot of people are going to hate that, it will be great! To the people that hate it, we'll be like, 'Hahaha! There ya go! Back again! We told you it was coming back!'"<ref>[http://hot995.com/cc-common/podcast/single_podcast.html?podcast=kane_guests.xml HOT 99.5 | Washington, DC<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
====The new war in Waziristan====
The Army moved large concentration of troops into Waziristan and engaged in fierce clashes with militants in which at least 100 militants were killed including wanted terrorist and former [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp|Guantanamo Bay]] detainee, [[Abdullah Mehsud]].<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070724/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_militant_leader</ref> The militants also struck back by attacking Army convoys, security check points and sending suicide bombers killing dozens of soldiers and police and over 100 civilians. In one month of fighting during the period from [[July 24]] to [[August 24]], [[2007]], 250 militants and 60 soldiers were killed.


Although not working together, former member Joey Fatone appeared on the first season finale of [[America's Best Dance Crew]] while in the audience, with current judge, and fellow former member, JC Chasez.
On [[September 2]], [[2007]], just a few dozen militants led by [[Baitullah Mehsud]] managed to ambush a 17-vehicle army convoy and captured an estimated 247 soldiers in it, without a shot being fired; an event that shocked the nation.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6978240.stm Pakistan crisis 'hits army morale' By Ahmed Rashid] [[6 September]] [[2007]] - [[BBC]]</ref> Several officers were among the captured.


Kirkpatrick recently told [[OK! Magazine]] “Someday, there’ll be an 'N Sync reunion, but I don’t think the time is right now...We get along like brothers,” he says. “We all love each other — we all care about each other. I’m sure we’ll come back.” Lance also said to Access Hollywood that the band has great odds of reuniting, despite Justin's neverending schedule.
After the army returned to Waziristan, they garrisoned the areas and set up check-points, but the militants hit hard. In mid-September Taliban forces attacked a number of Pakistani army outposts all across North and South Waziristan. This resulted in some of the heaviest fighting of the war. On [[September 12]], [[2007]], the first outpost was attacked and overrun by the Taliban resulting in the capture of 12 Pakistani soldiers. The next day on [[September 13]], [[2007]], a suicide bomber in [[Ghazi Tarbela]] attacked a Pakistani army base, destroying the main mess hall and killing 20 members of the [[Karar]] commando group; Pakistan's most elite army unit. Another 29 soldiers were wounded. A series of attacks ensued and by [[September 20]], [[2007]] a total of five Pakistani Army military outposts had been overrun and more than 25 soldiers captured. More than 65 soldiers were either killed or captured and almost 100 wounded.


==Parody==
A little over two weeks later, the Army responded with helicopter gunships, jet fighters and ground troops. They hit militant positions near the town of [[Mir Ali]]. In [[Battle of Mir Ali|heavy fighting]] over four days between [[October 7]] and [[October 10]] [[2007]], 257 people were killed, including 175 militants, 47 soldiers and 35 civilians.
[[Image:FATA (4).PNG|300px|thumb|left|With the fall of the [[Swat Valley]], the fighting spread to the whole FATA.]]


In an episode of [[The Weekenders]], a band known as Outta Sync is advertised.
====Battle of Swat Valley====
By the end of October fighting erupted in the Swat district of the North-West Frontier Province, with a large Taliban force, under the command of [[Maulana Fazlullah]], trying to impose Sharia law. Around 3,000 paramilitary soldiers were sent to confront them. After almost a week of [[Battle of Swat|heavy fighting]] the battle came to a standstill with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Then on [[November 1]] and [[November 3]], 220 paramilitary soldiers and policemen surrendered or deserted after a military position on a hill-top and two police stations were overrun. This left the Taliban in control of most of the Swat district.


== Discography ==
The fighting in Swat is the first serious insurgent threat from pro-Taliban forces in what is known as a settled area of Pakistan. Forces loyal to Maulana Fazlullah, including some foreign fighters, after taking control of a series of small towns and villages, tried to implement strict Islamic law in November 2007. In mid-November the regular army was deployed with the help of helicopter gunships to crush the uprising. The Pakistan Army deployed over 2,500 men. By the beginning of December the fighting had ended and the Army recaptured Swat. Almost 400 pro-Taliban fighters were dead along with 15 Pakistani soldiers and 20 civilians in the military offensive.<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/17/top7.htm 12-hour curfew clamped on Swat -DAWN - Top Stories; November 17, 2007<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
{{main|'N Sync discography}}


*1998: ''[[*NSYNC (album)|*NSYNC]]''
====The Rawalpindi attacks====
*1998: ''[[The Winter Album ('N Sync album)|The Winter Album]]''
The city of [[Rawalpindi]], which is the military headquarters of the Pakistan Armed Forces, was an attractive target for the militants and they were planning to hit the city.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} On [[September 3]], two suicide bombers targeted a military intelligence (ISI) bus and a line of cars carrying ISI officers. The [[September 2007 bombings in Rawalpindi|bus attack]] killed a large number of Defence Ministry workers and the other attack killed an Army colonel. In all 31 people, 19 soldiers and 12 civilians, were killed.
*1998: ''[[Home For Christmas (N Sync album)|Home For Christmas]]''
*2000: ''[[No Strings Attached ('N Sync album)|No Strings Attached]]''
*2001: ''[[Celebrity (album)|Celebrity]]''
*2005: ''[[Greatest Hits ('N Sync album)|Greatest Hits]]''


== Tours ==
Over two months later on [[November 24]], in a similar fashion a pair of suicide bombers struck. Again, one of the targets was a military intelligence bus. Almost everyone on the bus was killed. The other bomber blew up at a military checkpoint. 35 people were killed, almost all military.{{Fact|date=November 2007}}


*1998/1999: [[Nsync Tour]]
==== State of emergency ====
*2000: [[No Strings Attached Tour]]
The [[2007 Pakistani state of emergency]] was declared by [[Pervez Musharraf]] on [[2007-11-03]] and lasted until [[2007-12-15]]. During this time the constitution of the country was suspended.<ref name="Dawn">{{cite web | title= Musharraf imposes emergency rule | publisher=Dawn | url=http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/04/top1.htm|date=[[2007-11-03]]| accessdate=2007-11-03 }}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite web | title= Martial law declared in Pakistan|publisher=CNN | url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/03/pakistan.emergency/index.html |date=[[2007-11-03]]| accessdate=2007-11-03}}</ref> This action and its responses are generally related to the controversies surrounding the re-election of Musharraf during the [[Pakistani presidential election, 2007|presidential election]] that had occurred on [[2007-10-06]], and also was claimed by the government to be the reaction to the actions by Islamic militants in Waziristan.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2800993.ece| title =Pervez Musharraf spoils for a fight as he declares emergency rule| date=[[2007-11-04]] |accessdate= 2007-11-04 |publisher= The Times}}</ref>
*2001/2002: [[Pop Odyssey Tour]]/ [[Celebrity Tour]]

====Benazir Bhutto's assassination====
{{main|Benazir Bhutto assassination}}
On [[27 December]] [[2007]], Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed upon leaving a political rally for the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] (PPP) in [[Rawalpindi]], Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/737B73AE-EE5D-4C41-8CA2-E04B356FBCBC.htm |title=Bhutto killed in suicide attack |accessdate=2007-12-27 |format=HTML |work=Al Jazeera English }}</ref><ref>[http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=73377&videoChannel=1 Benazir Bhutto is dead] Reuter's video</ref> A suicidal assassin reportedly fired shots in Bhutto's direction just prior to detonating an explosive pellet-laden vest, killing approximately 24 people and wounding many more.<ref>{{cite news |title=Benazir Bhutto Assination NBC News Coverage |url=http://test.redlasso.com/service/svc/clip/playClip?fid=7ed304c1-5472-469b-a209-a9a696368d89 |publisher=NBC |date=2007-12-27 |accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Benazir Bhutto Assination CBS News Coverage |url=http://test.redlasso.com/service/svc/clip/playClip?fid=cc91d5dd-83e9-444d-9624-ae1816a31612 |publisher=CBS |date=2007-12-27 |accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Benazir Bhutto Assination ABC News Coverage |url=http://test.redlasso.com/service/svc/clip/playClip?fid=67553fa0-c7ba-48cb-8a3a-2152ec570595 |publisher=ABC |date=2007-12-27 |accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref>
Musharraf and the army blamed the attack on Al-Qaida, but the following day a statement by Commander Baitullah Mehsud was sent to the media saying that he and Al-Qaida had no involvement in the murder of the former Prime Minister, he briefed that these were the crimes of Musharraf and the army. The killing was followed by a wave of violence across the country that left 58 people dead, including four police officers. Most of the violence was directed at Musharraf and the pro-Musharraf political party, [[Pakistan Muslim League (Q)]].
The public chanted slogans against the army and Musharraf: "Musharraf Dog", "General is a murderer", "uniform (army) wearing murderers", etc.
Bhutto had previously survived [[2007 Karachi bombing|an assassination attempt]] made on her life during her homecoming which left 139 people dead and hundreds wounded.<ref name=nytimes_karachi>{{cite news|first=Carlotta|last=Gall|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/world/asia/19pakistan.html|title=Bomb Attack Kills Scores in Pakistan as Bhutto Returns|coauthors=Masood, Salman|publisher=The New York Times|date=2007-10-19|accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref>

====More fighting in South Waziristan====
In January 2008, pro-Taliban militants [[Sararogha Fort raid|overran Sararogha Fort]], and may have overrun a fort in Ladah as well. Both forts are in South Waziristan, and were held by the Pakistani army.<ref>{{cite news | title =Pakistani troops 'flee border post'|publisher =Al Jazeera | date=17 January 2008| url =http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EA53A69D-1973-4C86-8064-D4FCB4C40FB1.htm}} Retrieved on 18 January 2008.</ref> Gunmen fired on a children's aid group in in the [[North West Frontier Province]] [[February 25]], [[2008]], leaving four staffers dead. On the same day as the children's aid group attack, another suicide bomber struck in the garrison-town of Rawalpindi killing Pakistani Lt. Gen. Mushtaq Baig along with two more soldiers and five civilians. Baig was the army's surgeon general and the highest-level military official to be assassinated since Pakistan joined the U.S.-led war on terror.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/02/25/pakistan.blast/index.html Pakistan attacks hit aid group, military HQ - CNN.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

At least 45 people died and 82 were wounded in a suicide attack on the funeral [[February 29]] [[2008]] of a district superintendent of police – killed earlier in the day in a separate attack – in northwest Pakistan's [[Swat (Pakistan)|Swat]] province.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/01/pakistan.explosion/index.html 45 killed in Pakistan funeral blast - CNN.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

====Peace agreement====
On [[7 February]], [[2008]], a leading militant group led by [[Baitullah Mehsud]] offered a truce and peace negotiations resulting in a suspension of violence.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7232203.stm BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistani militants 'call truce'<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

On [[May 21]], [[2008]] Pakistan signed a peace agreement with Taliban fighters. Pakistan's government promised to "gradually" pull out troops from the northwestern valley of Swat. In return the Taliban were due to shut down training camps, hand over foreign fighters and halt suicide attacks on government installations and security forces under the 15-point pact.<ref name=autogenerated3>[http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D1AC8679-0D78-4829-952A-004CCA5DA283.htm Al Jazeera English - News - Pakistan Troops To Vacate Swat<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===June 2008 - Present===
{{main|2007 timeline of the War in Waziristan}}

Despite the agreement sporadic fighting continued until late June and escalated with the takeover of the town of Jandola on [[June 24]], by the militants. 22 pro-government tribal fighters were captured and executed by the Taliban at that time.<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/2008/06/24/top8.htm Baitullah men storm Jandola -DAWN - Top Stories; June 24, 2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

There had been growing concern about threats to [[Peshawar]] from Taliban fighters. In early June, a Taliban force from [[Khyber]] entered the city and seized 16 Christians, before later releasing them. Mahmood Shah, a former security chief in the tribal regions, said: "The situation is such that [the Taliban] are all around Peshawar. They are on our doorstep."<ref>[http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/06/2008628841648797.html Al Jazeera English - CENTRAL/S. ASIA - Pakistan forces in Khyber offensive<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

On [[June 28]], [[2008]], Pakistan's Army started an offensive against Taliban fighters in [[Khyber]]. The military took control of a key town and demolished an insurgent group's building. 1 militant was reportedly killed while 2 soldiers died in Swat valley.<ref>[http://www.france24.com/en/20080629-pakistan-broadens-anti-militant-offensive France 24 | Pakistan broadens anti-militant offensive | France 24<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The operation was halted in early [[July]].

On [[July 6]], [[2008]], a suicide bomber attacked a police station in Islamabad killing 12 policemen and seven civilians. Another 53 people were wounded. The police were part of a protection cordon set up by the government for a rally which was attended by about 12,000 people who were marking the first anniversary of government forces storming Islamabad's Red Mosque, or Lal Masjid.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/06/pakistan.blast/index.html Suicide blast targeting police kills 16 at Pakistan rally - CNN.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

On [[July 12]], [[2008]], militants ambushed a military convoy killing 17 soldiers.{{Fact|date=July 2008}}

On [[July 19]], [[2008]], clashes erupted between the Taliban and a rival faction of alleged pro-government Taliban militants. 10-15 of the pro-government fighters were killed and another 120 were captured. Among the captured were two commanders who were tried under "Islamic" law by the Taliban and then executed.

On [[July 21]], [[2008]], heavy fighting in Baluchistan killed 32 militants, 9 soldiers and 2 civilians. More than two dozen militants were captured and a large weapons cache was found.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080721/wl_nm/pakistan_baluchistan_dc_1 Fighting flares in Pakistan's Baluchistan; 43 killed - Yahoo! News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Between [[July 28]] and [[August 4]] [[2008]], heavy fighting flared up in the northwestern Swat valley leaving 94 militants and 22 soldiers and policemen dead. Another 28 civilians were also killed.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080804/wl_nm/pakistan_violence_dc_2 Ninety-four militants, 14 troops killed in NW Pakistan - Yahoo! News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Heavy fighting erupted on [[August 6]] [[2008]], in the Loisam area of Bajaur district. Loisam lies on the strategically important road leading towards the main northwestern city of Peshawar. The fighting started when hundreds of militants poured into the area attacking government forces. After four days of fighting on [[August 10]] the military withdrew from the area. 100 militants and 9 soldiers were confirmed killed and another 55 soldiers were missing, at least three dozen of them captured by the militants.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080810/wl_afp/pakistanafghanistanunrest_080810132035 100 militants, nine soldiers killed in Pakistan clashes - Yahoo! News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan10-2008aug10,0,6869936.story Pakistan fighting ends as troops withdraw - Los Angeles Times<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> While the fighting was going on in Bajaur, in the Buner area of North West Frontier Province militants killed at least nine policemen in an attack on a check post.<ref>[http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20080809/876/twl-taliban-militants-kill-nine-policeme_1.html Taliban militants kill nine policemen in Pakistan - Yahoo! India News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The checkpoint was then abandoned, and the local Pakistani forces withdrew to Khar, the main town of Bajaur Agency. There were reports that the town of Khar was then besieged by tribal militants. <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7552425.stm BBC NEWS | South Asia | 'Dozens die' in Pakistan clashes<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

On 23 August 2008, at least 15 people were killed in a suicide attack at a police check post in Char Bagh area of Swat. Also, three persons including two kids were killed in a bomb blast in Abuha.<ref>[http://thenews.jang.com.pk/updates.asp?id=52931 15 feared dead in Swat suicide bombings]</ref>

====Tribesmen declare war against the Taliban====
By the beginning of September 2008, Pakistani tribal elders began organising a private army of approximately 30,000 tribesmen to fight the taliban. A lashkar, or private army, comprised of Pakistani tribesmen, began torching the houses of Taliban commanders in Bajaur, near the Afghan border, vowing to fight them until they are expelled.

A local jirga decided to form the lashkar in the wake of the increasing presence of the local Taliban in the area. The lashkar began torching houses, including the house of a local Taliban commander named Naimatullah, who had occupied several government schools and converted them into seminaries.

A tribal elder named Malik Munsib Khan, who heads the lashkar, said that tribesmen would continue their struggle until the Taliban were expelled from the area, adding that anyone found sheltering Taliban militants would be fined one million rupees and their houses will be torched. The tribesmen also torched two important centres of the Taliban in the area and gained control of most of the tehsil.

The main reasons for this was that the operations that were taking place in the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]] had displaced some 300,000 people while dozens of citizens have been killed in clashes between the militants and military. This showcases why the Taliban have become highly unpopular with the tribal elders and their tribesmen.<ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0901/p99s01-duts.html</ref><ref>http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/53151.html</ref><ref>http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/53151.html</ref>

====US support and aid for Pakistani tribesmen====
Recent American military proposals outlines an intensified effort to enlist tribal leaders in the frontier areas of Pakistan in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as part of a broader effort to bolster Pakistani forces against militancy in the region.

The proposal is modeled in part on a similar effort by American forces in Iraq that has been hailed as a great success in fighting foreign insurgents there. But it raises the question of whether such partnerships can be forged without a significant American military presence in Pakistan. And it is unclear whether enough support can be found among the tribes. Small numbers of United States military personnel have served as advisers to the Pakistani Army in the tribal areas, giving planning advice and helping to integrate American intelligence. Under this new approach, the number of advisers would increase.

American officials said these security improvements complemented a package of assistance from the Agency for International Development and the State Department for the seven districts of the tribal areas that amounted to $750 million over five years, and would involve work in education, health and other sectors. The State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is also assisting the Frontier Corps with financing for counternarcotics work.<ref>http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/19/america/19policy.php</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/washington/19policy.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=world&adxnnlx=1222717017-fvB/geZ6uJD4OkQF6LCPSg&oref=slogin</ref><ref>http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:Fda3_xPQYTkJ:www.state.gov/p/sca/rls/2008/106495.htm+US+support+pakistani+tribes&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=19&gl=uk</ref>

====Islamabad Marriott Hotel Bombing====
On 23 September 2008, the Pakistani Army, backed by helicopter gunships and artillery killed more than 60 insurgents in northwest Pakistan in offensives as the response to the [[Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing]] over the weekend at the Marriott hotel in the capital Islamabad that killed 53 people. In the nearby Bajur tribal region, the Army killed at least 10 militants during an ongoing offensive there, according to government officials.<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,426207,00.html]</ref>

The Bajur operations, which the army says has left more than 700 suspected militants dead, has won praise from U.S. officials who are worried about rising violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan.<ref>[http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hkiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD93CC4R00]</ref>

====Renewed Bajaur offensive====
Pakistani President [[Asif Ali Zardari]] publicly vowed revenge in response to the [[Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing]]. By 26 September 2008, Pakistani troops had successfully conducted and completed a major offensive in the Bajaur and the Tang Khata regions of the [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]]. Pakistani troops had killed over 1,000 militants in a huge offensive, a day after President Asif Ali Zardari lashed out at US forces over a clash on the Afghan border.

Tariq Khan, Inspector General of the Paramilitary Frontier Corps, mentioned to journalists that since the beginning of the Bajaur operations, there were up to 2,000 militant fighters including hundreds of foreigners who were fighting with the soldiers and the security forces. The overall death toll was over 1,000 militants and also adding that 27 Pakistani soldiers had also been killed with 111 soldiers seriously wounded.<ref>http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=6788&icid=4&d_str=20080926</ref><ref>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pakistan/Pakistan_says_five_top_militants_among_1000_dead_in_offensive/articleshow/3530363.cms</ref>

Five top Al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders were among those killed in a month-long operation in Bajaur. Of the five militant commanders killed, four appeared to be foreigners: Egyptian Abu Saeed Al-Masri; Abu Suleiman, an Arab; an Uzbek commander named Mullah Mansoor; and an Afghan commander called Manaras. The fifth was a Pakistani commander named only Abdullah, a son of ageing hardline leader Maulvi Faqir Mohammad who is based in Bajaur and has close ties to Al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri.<ref>http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iGTgxqoTldD4lBtlbyfU5MSNowjg</ref><ref>http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-35671020080926</ref>

On 27 September 2008, Pakistani troops killed at least 16 militants after coming under attack in a tribal region near the Afghan border. Militants attacked three military posts near Khar, the main town in the restive Bajaur tribal district but soldiers repulsed them with artillery and mortar fire. There were no reports of millitary casualties.<ref>http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gqbV97erFMfXlFjngT7SYUGUxHdQ</ref><ref>http://www.dawn.com/2008/09/28/top4.htm</ref>

On 3 October 2008, Pakistani troops, backed by artillery, killed 25 Taliban militants after militants attacked security checkposts in four villages in the restive region. Separately, the local government ordered Afghan refugees in Bajaur to leave the area within three days. In other violence, a suicide bomber blew himself up as he tried to storm the house of [[Asfandyar Wali Khan]], head of the [[Awami National Party]] and who is also a member of Pakistan's ruling coalition in the western town of Charsadda, killing four people but missing the politician.<ref>http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=230579&Sn=WORL&IssueID=31197</ref><ref>http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQP3xOQVBIz1uiIMsTcCOVVAMNiA</ref>

====Intensified US. strikes====
Since the end of August, the United States has stepped up its attacks in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, following the change of the country's President.<ref>[http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-09-08-voa15.cfm Suspected US Missile Strike Hits Taliban Commander's House] - Voice of America, September 8, 2008 </ref> On September 3 a [[Angoor Ada raid|commando attack]] took place in a village near the Afghan border in [[South Waziristan]], and there have been 3 strikes from unmanned drones in [[North Waziristan]], culminating on the morning of 8 September 2008, when a [[United States Air Force]] [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|drone aircraft]] fired a number of [[missiles]] at a [[madrassa]] (religious school). The [[Daande Darpkhel airstrike|airstrike]], which unsuccessfully targeted [[Jalaluddin Haqqani]], killed 23 people.<ref name=IHT20080909>Perlez, J. & Shah, P.Z. 2008, [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/09/asia/09pstan.php 'US attack on Taliban kills 23 in Pakistan'], ''International Herald Tribune'', 9 September. Retrieved on 10 September 2008.</ref>

On 25 September 2008, following exchanges of gunfire between US and Pakistani forces on the frontier on Thursday, President Zardari told the United Nations that Pakistan would not tolerate violations of its sovereignty, even by its allies. The incident happened after two US military helicopters came under fire from the Pakistani side, a US military spokesman said, insisting that they had been about a mile and a half inside Afghanistan.

President Zardari told the United Nations, "Just as we will not let Pakistani's territory to be used by terrorists for attacks against our people and our neighbours, we cannot allow our territory and our sovereignty to be violated by our friends," he said, without citing the United States or the border flareup.<ref>http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iGTgxqoTldD4lBtlbyfU5MSNowjg</ref>

==Casualties==
{|class="wikitable" align="{{{align|right}}}" style="margin:{{#ifeq:{{{align}}}|right|0 0 0.5em 1em|0 1em 0.5em 0}};"
|+'''Casualties of the War in Pakistan''' <small>(According to news reports)</small>
|-
! Period
! Pakistani forces
! Militants
! Civilians
|-
! December 2001–March 2004<br>(prelude)
| 29 killed
| Unknown
| 120+
|-
! March 2004–September 2006
| 700 killed,<br>11 captured (all released)
| 1,000
| 1,000
|-
! October 2006–April 2007
| 78 killed
| 100-300
| N/A
|-
! July 2007–June 2008
| 882 killed,<br>40 missing,<br>559 captured (439 released)
| 1,928
| 1,827
|-
! June 2008–present
| 296 killed,<br>200 captured (116 released)
| 1,327
| 462
|-
! colspan="4" | <small>Sources:{{Fact|date=July 2008}} </small>
|}

There has been no conclusive reports on the casualties of the war, though some authors, especially Pakistani writers, have estimated that the total casualties on both sides to be more than 1,000 by 2006.<ref>[http://pakobserver.net/200606/26/Articles02.asp?txt=Pacifying%20Waziristan Pacifying Waziristan by Muhammad Munir]</ref>

On [[September 13]] [[2007]], then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of State [[John Negroponte]] noted during a visit to Islamabad that Pakistan lost 1,000 soldiers fighting the militants since joining the war on terrorism.<ref name=autogenerated5>http://uasos.com/world/fierce-fighting-in-waziristan-as-negroponte-visits-pakistan-reuters.html</ref>

On [[November 14]], [[2007]], senior Pakistan Army officials told at a news conference that a total of 28 suicide attacks killed some 600 Pakistani security men, in addition to 1,300 civilians in the period after the Lal Masjid siege. It also said that from 2001 till November 14, 2007, at least 966 military men were killed and 2,259 others were injured; 488 foreign extremists were killed, 24 others were arrested and 324 foreign extremists were injured<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://www.topnews.in/600-pakistan-security-men-killed-28-suicide-attacks-after-lal-masjid-operation-26116 600 Pakistan security men killed in 28 suicide attacks after Lal Masjid operation | Top News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Some have speculated that the unofficial number of Pakistani soldiers [[killed in action]] to be somewhere around 3,000 by the late 2006.<ref>[http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/09/the_fall_of_wazirist.php The Fall of Waziristan: An Online History]</ref><ref>[http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/56510.aspx Waziristan: Terror Haven for Jihadists? by Erick Stakelbeck] November 15, 2006 [[Christian Broadcasting Network|CBN news]]</ref> A Pakistan writer, [[Ayaz Amir]] states that the army's "Casualties were high, perhaps unsustainable, although we’ll never know the exact figures, the Pakistan army not given to embarrassing disclosures."<ref>[http://www.dawn.com/weekly/ayaz/20060915.htm War and peace, army style] - September 15, 2006 [[Dawn (newspaper)]]</ref>. It should be noted however that Pakistani military provides substantial benefits to families of fallen soldiers<ref>[http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htlead/articles/20080422.aspx Year of the Soldier; Strategy Page]</ref>, and thus it is unlikely that higher end numbers are correct since it would be difficult to hide fatalities from families. Also Ayaz Amirs and Bill Roggio's claims are spurious to say the least; their assertion that Pakistan Army hides casualties is belied by the fact that the PR arm of the Pakistani military gives a daily update on the operations, complete with casualty figures; broken down by units.<ref>[http://www.ispr.gov.pk/Archive&Press/LatestUpdate/latestUpdate.htm Latest Update from Pakistan Military Webpage, contradicting the claims made by Ayaz Amir and Bill Roggio]</ref>

==United States role==
Pakistan received about $4 billion from the [[United States]] for the [[logistic]]al support it provided for the [[counter-terrorism]] operations from 2002 to 2006, and for its own military operation mainly in Waziristan and other tribal areas along the [[Durand line]], according to a report of the [[Asian Development Bank]]. The [[George W. Bush administration|Bush administration]] also offered a $3 billion five-year aid package to Pakistan for becoming a frontline ally in its 'war on terror'. Annual instalments of $600 million each split evenly between military and economic aid, began in 2005.<ref name=1billion>{{Cite web| url=http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.359974956&par=0 | title=Pakistan: $1 billion from U.S. to fight terror | publisher=Aki/[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]] |date=2006-11-14 | accessdate=2006-11-24}}</ref>

In his autobiography, President Musharraf wrote that the United States had paid millions of dollars to the Pakistan government as [[bounty]] money for capturing al-Qaeda operators from tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. About 359 of them were handed over to the US for prosecution. <ref name=1billion />


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of best-selling music artists]]
*[[Sectarian violence in Pakistan]]
*[[List of best selling music artists in U.S.]]
*[[Islamic Emirate of Waziristan]]
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)]]
*[[Taliban insurgency]]
*[[War on Terrorism]]
*[[Boy band]]
*[[List of wars 2003–current]]

==References==
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->
{{reflist|2}}


==External links==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3645114.stm Pakistan's undeclared war] by Zaffar Abbas, [[BBC News]], Friday, 10 September, 2004
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4774762.stm Dozens killed in Pakistan clashes], [[BBC News]], Friday, 5 March, 2006
*[http://www.historyguy.com/waziristan_war.html A brief description of the Waziristan War which began in 2004 in Northwest Pakistan.] From the History Guy Website
*[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23012160/ U.S. Al-Qaida shifting to Pakistan]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7228864.stm Changing ways of Pakistan's militants]
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/05/AR2008020502979.html Pakistan Is Threatened]


== External links ==
{{War on Terrorism}}
*[http://www.justintimberlake.com Justin Timberlake Official Site]
*[http://www.jcchasez.net JC Chasez Official Site]
*[http://www.lancebass.com Lance Bass Official Site]


{{Military of Pakistan}}
{{'N Sync}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Waziristan}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:N Sync}}
[[Category:Al-Qaeda]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1995]]
[[Category:Al-Qaeda activities]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2002]]
[[Category:Civil wars involving the states and peoples of Asia]]
[[Category:American dance music groups]]
[[Category:Religion-based civil wars]]
[[Category:American pop music groups]]
[[Category:Guerrilla wars]]
[[Category:Orlando, Florida musical groups]]
[[Category:Taliban]]
[[Category:Boy bands]]
[[Category:Waziristan]]
[[Category:Quintets]]
[[Category:Wars involving Pakistan]]
[[Category:Sony BMG artists]]
[[Category:Wars involving the Taliban]]
[[Category:Justin Timberlake]]
[[Category:War on Terror]]
[[Category:Bubblegum pop]]
[[Category:1990s music groups]]
[[Category:2000s music groups]]


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Revision as of 13:36, 10 October 2008

For their self-titled album, see *NSYNC (album).
NSYNC

'N Sync (often stylized *NSYNC) are Grammy-nominated musical group. The group's launch to fame was financed by the fraudulent boy band mogul Lou Pearlman. and since 1995, 'N Sync has sold over 56 million records worldwide.[2]

Formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995, the group consisted of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick. The name is derived from the last letter of the members names: Justi-N, Chri-S, Joe-Y, Lance-N (though ORIGINALLY the 'N' came from and original member named Jason before Lance was found), J-C. After heavily publicized legal battles with their former manager Lou Pearlman and former record label Sony BMG, the group's 2000 album No Strings Attached sold 1.1 million copies in one day and 2.4 million copies in one week, giving it the highest first week album sales ever in US and #5 worldwide, and their 2001 album, Celebrity, holds the record for the second-highest first full week of sales.[3] In addition to a host of Grammy nominations, 'N Sync has performed at the Academy Awards, the World Series, the Super Bowl and the Olympics, and sang or recorded duets with the likes of Aerosmith, Mary J Blige, Britney Spears, Nelly, Michael Jackson, The Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, and Gloria Estefan. The group also appeared as themselves on The Simpsons, in an episode entitled "New Kids on the Blecch", which aired on February 25, 2001.

While 'N Sync announced a "temporary hiatus" in spring 2002, the band has not recorded new material since. The group's official website shut down in summer of 2006, and in 2007, Lance Bass confirmed that the group has "definitely broken up."[4]

They were parodied in the VeggieTales series as Boyz in the Sink who were seen in The Ballad of Little Joe (2003) and Moe and the Big Exit (2007) for the Silly Song segments. [citation needed]

Breaking the American market: 1998-1999

The group released their American first single, "I Want You Back" in January 1998. The song became a moderate success, peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. They followed up with their self-titled album on March 24, 1998. Initially album sales were sluggish, debuting at #82 on the Billboard 200. Sales began to pick up when Disney Channel aired an original Concert on July 18, 1998. The concert sent the album rocketing up the charts: three weeks preceding the concert, the album sat at #85 on the albums chart. Three weeks after the concert, the album had reached #9. The group released their second single, "Tearin' Up My Heart", that same month. It shot to the top of radio airplay charts and got regular play on MTV (especially on a new show called Total Request Live). This further increased the group's visibility and sales for the album, which eventually peaked at #2 in October of 1998. Constant touring, including an opening spot on Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour, helped maintain the group's momentum. Eventually, the album went on to be certified for sales of over 11 million by the RIAA.

The group appeared in the TV series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series) on February 5, 1999 at the height of their popularity, performing "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" in an episode where Sabrina acquires a magical fake ID to attend their concert.

'N Sync's 1998 hit, "Tearin' Up My Heart" was also featured as #30 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of The 90's" in 2007, 9 years later.

On November 10, 1998, the group released a holiday album, Home for Christmas. The album peaked at #7 and sold over 2 million copies. With this, 'N Sync achieved the rare feet of having two albums in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time. The group scored their first top 10 on the Hot 100 with their third single, "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time on You", which peaked #8 in February of 1999. Country group Alabama later re-recorded the song and released it as a single that featured vocals from 'N Sync. The fourth and final single from the album, "I Drive Myself Crazy", was a modest chart hit but a mainstay on TRL.

In September of 1999 the group collaborated with Gloria Estefan on a song for the soundtrack for her movie, Music of the Heart. The track, "Music of My Heart", reached #2 on the strength of its single sales, and served as a stopgap between album releases.[citation needed]

GInGer spice loves nsync!!! they are hott sexy boys:)

Legal battles

In 1998, 'N Sync experienced a highly publicized legal battle with Lou Pearlman, due to what the group believed were illicit business practices on his part.[5] 'N Sync sued Pearlman and his record company, Trans Continental, for defrauding the group of more than 50% of their earnings, rather than his original promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits.[5] The group threatened to leave and sign with Jive Records, which prompted Pearlman and RCA to countersue *NSYNC for $150 million US, citing breach of contract.[6] The injunction was thrown out of court.[5] After reaching a settlement out of court[7], *NSYNC signed with Jive.[8]

Groundbreaking success

With their legal woes behind them, 'N Sync refocused and worked on tracks for their second album. In January 2000, the group released "Bye Bye Bye", an upbeat dance track, which shot into the top 5 of the Hot 100 and would spend 5 weeks atop the Hot 100 Airplay chart. The song is often considered the group's signature song.They performed at the Latin Grammy show in 2001 singing the Spanish version of their song, This I Promise You, "Yo Te Voy A Amar."

The accompanying album, No Strings Attached, was released on March 21, 2000. It sold a record 2 million in its first week of release. An estimated 1 million of those sales were attributed to the first day of release, another record. By the end of 2000, it had sold over 9.9 million copies, a record for most albums ever sold in a single year. No Strings Attached is currently the eighth best selling album of the SoundScan era, with sales of over 11,099,000. The album also broke the Amazon sales records.[1]

Their second single, "It's Gonna Be Me", became the group's first #1 single. The third and final single, "This I Promise You" also reached the top 5. It also became the groups first #1 on the AC chart. All 3 singles from the album reached the top 5

The group also embarked on a World No Strings Attached Tour that year. Tickets for the first leg sold an amazing 1 million in the first day on sale, and all venues except one stadium sold out the first day. The stage was a third bigger than their previous tour, and featured a moving platform to allow the group to get closer to the crowd.[citation needed] The adventures of preparing for the tour were featured on an MTV special "Making the Tour", which was later released on DVD. The tour was then featured on a HBO special, that aired the same week the group's song "It's Gonna Be Me" hit #1 on the charts. The group then went on the second leg of the tour in the fall and performed one last show in 2001 for the "Rock in Rio" concert. The group also performed The Bee Gees Medley in 2001.

The group also released Live From Madison Square Garden, a home video release of the group's HBO Special.

Celebrity and "Pop"

The group's third album, Celebrity, released on July 24, 2001, holds the record for the second-highest first full week of sales[3]. The album produced three singles: "Pop" (#19 US), "Gone" (#11 US) and "Girlfriend" (#5 US). The album featured much more creative involvement from the group, especially Chasez and Timberlake, who wrote and produced several of the tracks. The album was also notably more heavily influenced by hip-hop than the groups' previous releases. As such, rapper Nelly contributed a verse to a remix of the single "Girlfriend". The album was generally well-received, but album sales were substantially less than previous releases.

To help support the Celebrity album, the group embarked on a four-month stadium tour entitled the Pop Odyssey Tour. The outing began in May, two months before the CD's release. It was the largest tour in the history of the music business, it took over 90 trucks to haul all the pieces. The stage took three days to put together, so the group had three sets of steel stages, so crews could put that together while the group was performing at another venue. Together, they could have two full stages set up. The stage featured a catwalk which led to a second, satellite stage, in the middle of the stadium. The stage also featured many other trapdoors, stair cases coming out of the video screens, harnesses to allow the guys to fly over the audience and many other features. It was also the group's first tour to feature dancers. Over two million fans attended the concerts, and the tour grossed over 90 million US dollars. A video of the concert was later released on home video, PopOdyssey Live.

After Celebrity

After the group's 2002 Celebrity tour, they went on hiatus. The group still went to award shows and events together, and regrouped at the 2003 Grammy Awards to sing the Bee Gees Medley in tribute to the Bee Gees. It was the group's last televised performance. The last public performance for 'N Sync was at the group's 2004 Annual Challenge for the Children, where the group performed "The Star Spangled Banner". It was a fitting final performance considering "The Star Spangled Banner" was the first song the group ever sang together.

In 2005, the five regrouped one last time for the last *NSYNC Challenge For The Children, but the group did not perform. In the fall of 2005, *NSYNC released a greatest hits album. It included one song, "I'll Never Stop", that had previously not been released in America.

Marketing

The group licensed their likenesses on large number of merchandise, including board games, microphones, lip balm, marionettes, books, key chains, bedding, clothing, video games[9], and various other articles. The group also had a deal alongside Britney Spears with McDonald's, which included commercials featuring the group and Spears, along with a CD and a video that featured behind-the-scenes footage from the making of NSYNC's music video. The vocal group also had a deal with Chili's Grill & Bar in which the members appeared in commercials for the restaurant, while Chili's helped sponsor the group's tour.[citation needed]

Awards

The group has multiple RIAA awards. These include three Diamond Awards, four platinum home video releases, and multiple platinum awards for the group's records.

Hiatus

The group went on an extended hiatus in 2002, as Timberlake released his solo album Justified on November 4, 2002; Chasez then proceeded to release Schizophrenic, on February 24, 2004. Timberlake released his second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds on September 12, 2006.

Chasez has a follow-up album in the works.[specify] Chasez also helped co-write songs for a few other artists, notably the song "Treat Me Right" for former rival boy band, the Backstreet Boys, on their 2007 album "Unbreakable". Chasez can also be seen as a judge on MTV's Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew.

Chris Kirkpatrick closed his clothing business, FuManSkeeto, and has become involved with several indie/punk rock bands on a business level, including Hawaii-based National Product. He has also recorded as a solo artist as well as with his other band, Nigels 11. He has also done voice work for the Nickelodeon show The Fairly Oddparents as teen heart-throb Chip Skylark. Kirkpatrick's latest project is involvement in a reality television show named "Mission: Man Band" aired on VH1. The show features a cast of former boy band members which includes Rich Cronin of LFO, Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees and Bryan Abrams of Color Me Badd. The premise of the show: to form a boyband with various members of successful pop acts from the past. The four named their group Sureshot and were shopping around for a record deal, and a possible second season of the show. Kirpatrick is now on the second season of Gone Country on CMT.[citation needed]

Lance Bass became NASA-certified cosmonaut[10] after months of training in Russia in 2002, but has yet to realize his goal of heading into outer space due to lack of funding from financial backers. He opened a film production company, Bacon and Eggs, which produced several films including 2007's Lovewrecked. He also starred in his own movie, On the Line, with fellow bandmember Joey Fatone. In 2006, after months of media speculation, Bass confirmed that he is gay in a front page cover story for People magazine.[11] Following the revelation, Bass's love life has become fodder for many American blogs and tabloids. His autobiography, Out of Sync, was released on October 23, 2007. It has been confirmed that he will participate as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)'s 7th season. He will be partnered with former So You Think You Can Dance season 3 finalist, Lacey Schwimmer. He has a cameo in the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder.

Joey Fatone has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Cooler, an experimental musical version of Red Riding Hood, and Homie Spumoni. On Broadway, Fatone starred in Rent and Little Shop Of Horrors. In September 2004, Fatone married his long-time girlfriend, Kelly Baldwin, at a chateau on Long Island. The couple has a daughter together named Briahna. He was the 2007 runner-up on Dancing with the Stars.[12] He then starred as a retired baseball player, Joey Vitolo, on the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, and is currently hosting NBC's The Singing Bee as well TV Guide Hetworks' Red Carpet for awards shows such as the 2008 Screen Actors Guild awards and the 2008 Academy Awards.

Future albums

According to Jive Records, 'N Sync signed a contract guaranteeing a minimum of five albums.[citation needed] As of 2008, they have delivered four (self titled 'N Sync, No Strings Attached, Celebrity, and a greatest hits album). Plans for the group to work on their next album have been discussed, but never realized. One of the first signs that the group's future was in jeopardy was in 2006, the first year in which the group did not reunite for Challenge for the Children, its annual charity event.

In 2006, Timberlake was interviewed on an episode of MTV's All Eyes On series and said that he was responsible for 'N Sync's extended break.[citation needed] He also mentioned that even if the band were to re-unite now, he was unsure of what they would be able to accomplish, as the music they were once famous for has since decreased in popularity.

Although there are currently no plans set for a reunion in the near future, members of the group have continued to work together on occasion. On August 31, 2006, Timberlake reunited with former bandmate Chasez on his SexyBack tour at the Roseland Ballroom. Chasez performed "Until Yesterday", a single off of his upcoming album; Kate.[13]

Several members of the group have been vocal about their hopes that the band will come together for another album. In an interview with WIHT on September 7, 2007, Kirkpatrick said, "We're all friends. [The band] didn't officially ever "break-up", you know, and there will always be room for [a reunion]. As much as a lot of people are going to hate that, it will be great! To the people that hate it, we'll be like, 'Hahaha! There ya go! Back again! We told you it was coming back!'"[14]

Although not working together, former member Joey Fatone appeared on the first season finale of America's Best Dance Crew while in the audience, with current judge, and fellow former member, JC Chasez.

Kirkpatrick recently told OK! Magazine “Someday, there’ll be an 'N Sync reunion, but I don’t think the time is right now...We get along like brothers,” he says. “We all love each other — we all care about each other. I’m sure we’ll come back.” Lance also said to Access Hollywood that the band has great odds of reuniting, despite Justin's neverending schedule.

Parody

In an episode of The Weekenders, a band known as Outta Sync is advertised.

Discography

Main article: 'N Sync discography

Tours

See also

References

  1. ^ "Celebrity *NSYNC". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  2. ^ Gutierrez, Pedro Ruz. "Pearlman's Money Woes Follow Him Downtown".
  3. ^ a b "The Lycos Daily Report". Lycos. September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2006-07-26.
  4. ^ Abbott, Jim. "Lance Bass Book Comes Out". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  5. ^ a b c Manning, Kara. "'N Sync Scores Small Victory As Legal Battle Begins". MTV News, November 24, 1999. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  6. ^ Wolk, Josh. (October 13, 1999). "'N Court". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  7. ^ Rolling Stone Dec 29, 1999 N Sync and Trans Con Settle N Sync vs. Trans Con: the music biz's nastiest legal battle of the decade
  8. ^ "Zomba Records, LTD: Company History". FundingUniverse.com. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  9. ^ Game Review: 'N Sync Hotline
  10. ^ "Hairspray Cast Bios - Lance Bass". Hairspray the Musical. Retrieved August 14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Lance Bass: I'm Gay". People (magazine). July 26, 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-26. {{cite web}}: Text "People" ignored (help)
  12. ^ Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
  13. ^ (see Love sexy ; A sexy single and Prince-influenced album send ex-'N Sync hottie Justin Timberlake back to No. 1. Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minn.: September 17, 2006. pg. 6)
  14. ^ HOT 99.5 | Washington, DC

External links

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