Ghost of a flea

"The nature of your tasks and the sheer brutality of your foe mark inherent dangers to a lasting peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan," Harper said. "Thank you for proving to Canadians - and to people around the world - that when Canada makes a commitment, Canada follows through."

It's not just clouds that shroud Waziristan's treacherous high country. Up here on the Afghan border, a veil of state secrecy also cloaks a new Taliban wave breaking eastward across Pakistan. Against the totemic thump of the drums of war, dust churns as the bodies of suspected anti-Taliban spies are dragged behind Toyota utes - as many as four at a time.

The severed heads of those who cross the fanatical jihadis are held aloft in cheering, jeering crowds. And in the bazaar, just a few rupees buys one of the hottest selling new DVDs - that's the one in which a 12-year-old boy wields the decapitation knife.