ATDTDA (1): Waziristan

[Ande]

My initial (and not by any mean exhaustive) research didn't find any 
mention of a Waziri exhibit (or any exhibit related to Af'land or 
banditry) at the 1893 Fair, leading me to believe that Pynchon included 
it as a "popular" reference...

Tim Strzechowski wrote:

>(A plain text version of Original_HTML1.html follows):
>
>   "Here were Waziris from Waziristan exhibiting upon one another various
>   techniques for waylaying travelers, which reckoned in that country as a
>   major source of income" (p. 23).
>
>
>   Waziristan is  a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering
>   Afghanistan and covering some 11 585 km² (4,473 mi²). It comprises the
>   area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north
>   and the Gomal River to the south, forming part of Pakistan's Federally
>   Administered  Tribal  Areas.  The  North-Wes  Frontier Province lies
>   immediately to the east. The region was an independent tribal territory
>   from 1893, remaining outside of British-ruled empire and Afghanistan.
>   Tribal raiding into British-ruled territory was a constant problem for the
>   British, eliciting frequent punitive expeditions between 1860 and 1945.
>   The region became part of Pakistan in 1947. [...]
>
>   [1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waziristan
>
>   [2]http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/pk!waz.html
>
>
>   Perhaps it's the lawless character of the region that makes Pynchon equate
>   it here with the Chicago Fair:
>
>   [3]http://inbrief.threatswatch.org/2006/01/the-waziristan-problem/
>
>
>   Is Pynchon here making a subtle reference to Bin Laden's suspected hiding
>   place?  cf.
>
>   [4]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3532841.stm
>
>References (WARNING: clicking these links may not be safe)
>
>   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waziristan
>   2. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/pk!waz.html
>   3. http://inbrief.threatswatch.org/2006/01/the-waziristan-problem/
>   4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3532841.stm
>
>  
>