Bush to warn Pakistan on combating militants

[Cheetah786]

Im saying exactly what the the US president, the NATO commanders and the rest of the world are saying. It is hard to stop Taliban just as Niaz sir has said, but on top of that Musharraf is not that keen either.

If i am of no importance then please dont reply to my posts and dont quote them

Those who invaded Iraq claiming it had weapons of mass destruction and have been blaming Iran and Syria for the murderous mess in Iraq, are also the same people now blaming Pakistan for the mess in Afghanistan.
They say Pakistan is aiding and abetting the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Maybe it is. But U.S. President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have offered little or no proof
The American media are running a parallel campaign, hurling a more serious allegation, that the Pakistan army is extending logistical help to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Most such stories are based on unnamed sources.

The New York Times, which in the pre-Iraq war days carried phony WMD stories, is back practising the same sort of discredited journalism.
In a Washington-datelined story last week on ostensible Al Qaeda camps in North Waziristan, I counted 20 attributions to unnamed "American officials," "intelligence officials and terrorism experts," "American analysts," "counterterrorism officials," etc.
Pakistan cannot possibly fully control the 2,400-kilometre border, most of it uninhabited terrain.
"If the U.S. cannot stop infiltration from Mexico, how do you expect us to control our border with Afghanistan that's mostly desolate and mountainous?" pleaded Tariq Azim, minister of information, in an interview in Islamabad, the capital.
Pakistan has done more in battling terrorism in the neighbourhood than any other nation. It has deployed 80,000 troops along the Afghan border, double the entire American and NATO contingent in Afghanistan, and has lost more than 700 soldiers, more than double the casualty count of all the allies.
It has helped arrest dozens of Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives, in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Musharraf: "Tell me how many Taliban leaders have been caught in Afghanistan. Name me one."
The Taliban do have sympathizers among their 15-million fellow-Pushtuns in Pakistan and among the 2.6 million Afghan Pushtun refugees living in Pakistan. But the main problem lies in Afghanistan, because of widespread corruption, opium production and the incompetence of the American and NATO forces, which have failed to bring security and economic development to the population. "We don't deny that Taliban come and go but that's not the entire truth,"
Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, spokesperson for Musharraf, told me. "If 25 per cent of the problem lies on our side, 75 per cent lies on that side."
Pakistan admits that a few dozen, or perhaps hundreds of Al Qaeda members are hiding in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Pakistan waged war on them and the Taliban over the last five years, but ended up alienating the local population. That's why it signed deals with the local tribes in North and South Waziristan, under which the army was withdrawn in return for the elders keeping the foreigners at bay.
"We did the same thing in Waziristan that the Brits did in Afghanistan," said Azim, referring to the arrangement the British made in Musa Qala in Helmand province. Both deals were opposed by the Americans, who insist on a military approach.
The deals did work, until recently, in that attacks on troops stopped.
But in both cases, some elements of the Taliban/Al Qaeda are now overriding
the local elders and regrouping.
Lt. Gen. Ali Jan Mohammed Orakzai, governor of NWFP, architect of the deal, says: "It was imperative to switch tactics to a political approach after 700 soldiers had died, traditional tribal structures had collapsed and anti-government sentiments had soared, helping Islamic extremists."
In other words, Pakistan decided to cut its losses.
Sultan concedes that cross-border incursions have increased, but "we are not sure whether that's the result of the agreement or just a natural Taliban spike" in preparation for the expected spring offensive.
If the U.S. has new intelligence about Al Qaeda camps, it should supply Pakistan with the satellite pictures and other co-ordinates. "We have asked for proof and we never get it."
Pakistan is not knowingly hiding Taliban leader Mullah Omar, as alleged by Karzai. "Give me the address," snapped Musharraf. "I will go catch him myself."
Pakistan is tired of hearing that it is not doing enough, says Azim. "But nobody tells us what is enough. Nobody defines what will be enough." I asked him if Pakistan is getting fed up with the U.S. and other allies."Up to here," he said, lifting his hand to his throat.:flag: :army:

 

[Cheetah786]

Jalozoi is a semi-permanent ghetto of 54,000 people in mud houses abutting narrow lanes with open sewers.

It's one of nearly 50 camps across Pakistan. Between them and the urban centres, there are about 3 million Afghan refugees, out of the 5 million who originally came. Many of those who did go back after the 2001 fall of the Taliban have since returned.

The latest bad news is that a new batch of refugees are coming, fleeing the current chaos of southern Afghanistan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says Iran has closed its border and Pakistan has placed tight controls at its border posts, forcing the refugees to "pay local smugglers" to cross over.

The irony of Afghans first fleeing the Soviet occupation and now NATO's is not lost on Pakistan. That aside, it wants the refugees gone. If they won't go, it wants to deport them.

Not only have they outlived their welcome, Pakistan is tired of being accused of harbouring the Taliban among them. It says that since most refugees, like the Taliban, are Pushtuns, it cannot know who is and is not a Talib

So, take them all back, please.

Pakistan is also planning to fence and/or mine parts of its 2,400-kilometre border with Afghanistan.

This is in response to Western accusations that the Taliban and Al Qaeda are infiltrating into Afghanistan from Pakistan.

Pakistan also has its own reasons. It wants to stop, or at least reduce, the smuggling of Afghan opium. It has given up hope that the problem can be brought under control anytime soon by the administration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, viewed as both corrupt and incompetent.

All this may merely be posturing on the part of Pakistan. But there's little doubt the refugees are the football being kicked around by the big players.

The Afghans and the NATO allies want Pakistan to close the border to Taliban.

But Karzai, posturing for his home audience, wants the Pushtuns to retain their traditional freedom to criss-cross it.

The UNHCR, too, wants the border kept open, to allow even more refugees to come. Canada, the leading voice against land mines, is horrified at the idea of a border being mined.

"You cannot have it every which way," says Owais Ahmad Ghani, governor of Baluchistan province.

Meanwhile, a drive to register all Afghan refugees continues – as does their resistance.

Pakistani authorities fear fraud has crept into the old identity papers the refugees carry. It wants new papers issued and biometrics installed at border crossings.

The first protest was over the requirement of a photo for women. The authorities relented. Next, there was the stoning of the busy border post of Chaman in Baluchistan to protest the biometric machines, since closed. Many Afghan refugees clearly like the estimated 1 million phony IDs in circulation.

In addition, the Afghans who have bought property and are engaged in business, or those born in Pakistan, have no desire to go back – and are reluctant to come forward.

Only 1.7 million refugees have been registered. "Those who aren't will be considered illegal immigrants and deported,"
At the Jalozoi camp, Haji Abdul Qahhar, 67, says he was among the original inhabitants who set up tents here. He says he won't go back, because "conditions are still bad back home, and foreign troops are present in my land."

 

[Neo]

THis tells me that we are excellent poker players.

Good one!

 

[Neo]

Sunday, March 04, 2007

‘US blaming Pakistan just to hide its failure in Afghanistan’

ISLAMABAD: The US launched an attack on Iraq before restoring normalcy in Afghanistan and was now blaming Pakistan just to hide its own failures, said Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Mushahid Hussain Syed on Saturday.

Addressing a reception for Youth Parliament members here, Syed said that foreign policy was made keeping in view a nation’s larger interests, and every country changed its foreign policy according to the changing situation and future challenges, as the US changed its policy towards China from hostility to friendship during the Nixon government and Pakistan changed its policy towards the Taliban government following the world trade centre incident. “We are not under America’s influence, nor do we agree with its every policy,” he said, adding that Pakistan had differences with the US on Iraq, Palestine and Iran issues, and underlined the need to solve the Iran nuclear issue through talks instead of force.

“US must hold talks with Iran like it held with North Korea,” he said, adding that some law and order problems in Pakistan were linked with the turmoil in Afghanistan where Pakistan wanted peace and stability in the entire region. “92 percent of the world’s poppy is produced in Afghanistan and the Afghan government should take effective steps to curb this production,” he said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\04\story_4-3-2007_pg11_11

 

[Bull]

Fight the terrorists for your own interest not for somebody else.
Mushraff and pakistan hasnt still realised the threat these armed tribals pose to the national unity.

 

[Cheetah786]

Fight the terrorists for your own interest not for somebody else.
Mushraff and pakistan hasnt still realised the threat these armed tribals pose to the national unity.

our interest lies in stable afghanistan.with pro pakistan government there.simple as that.:army: :flag:

 

[[R]e[b]e[L]]

Im saying exactly what the the US president, the NATO commanders and the rest of the world are saying. It is hard to stop Taliban just as Niaz sir has said, but on top of that Musharraf is not that keen either.

If i am of no importance then please dont reply to my posts and dont quote them

Hah! But isnt the u.s president, nato commanders and 'the rest of the world' as you casually put it also aware of the sacrifices pakistan has already given? Do you realise how much money it costs to move the army to another region and set up bases there? And anyway i personally think its stupid fighting the taliban. They need to focus on other areas of defence from real threats if you know what i mean...

 

[[R]e[b]e[L]]

Fight the terrorists for your own interest not for somebody else.
Mushraff and pakistan hasnt still realised the threat these armed tribals pose to the national unity.

LoL and this comment comes from a 'concerned' friend, who is concerned in more ways than one! These tribal people have actually always been defending pakistan Alhamdulilah, musharraf is actually destroying national unity by handing over innocent people of the nation in exchange for u.s dollars!

 

[Bull]

LoL and this comment comes from a 'concerned' friend, who is concerned in more ways than one! These tribal people have actually always been defending pakistan Alhamdulilah, musharraf is actually destroying national unity by handing over innocent people of the nation in exchange for u.s dollars!

These people have shown in more than one occassion that they will bring distruction to Pakistan if PA gets involved in west.

 

[kidwaibhai]

Well they are citizens of paksitan and they have a right to disagree with the foriegn policy. Wasnt the local tamil population in india angry with india's involvement india during rajiv gandhi's time and arnt these guys fighting for separate state in tamil nadu so these kind of guys are present in every country. wasnt that the reason why you guys with drew and also because you guys got your *** handed to you

 

[Contrarian]

And anyway i personally think its stupid fighting the taliban. They need to focus on other areas of defence from real threats if you know what i mean...

Then you dont know what is the real threat that your country is facing.

 

[EagleEyes]

They are not blaming Pakistan for their failure, they are blaming Pakistan for still allowing terrorists to flourish in their territory, and they are targetting the western countries soldiers in Iraq.

Thats an incorrect statement.

Not still allowing but incapable of of stopping.

Not Iraq, but actually Afghanistan.