‘Major surprises’ expected in talks with militants, ISI

[53fd]

Pakistan needs to 'resolve' this military conflict within its borders, eliminate the groups that are the enemies of Pakistan, & the ones that are not willing to surrender. Pakistan doesn't need to create new enemies, & should act accordingly. But actions against the Pakistani state won't be tolerated.

 

[Rank]

America said "US and Pakistan have same interests"
Taliban said "Tabiban and Pakistan have same interets"
People of Pakistan said "US and Pakistan have totally different interests"
hence - Pakistan and Taliban Interests are same in Afghanistan
......

 

[Respect4Respect01]

great news,

 

[Saifullah Sani]

Taliban Reunite For More Afghan Action​

While there are rumors of back channel talk between the U.S. and Pakistan to patch up the relationship after the November 26 killing of 26 Pakistani troops by U.S. forces, the situation on the ground is unlikely to ever be the same than before the incident.

The U.S. might in future again be able to route some logistic traffic through Pakistan. A ship with U.S. military load arrived in Karachi today. The costs though will be higher now and it is doubtful that the Pakistani military will ever again allowed it to use drones to kill this or that family in the tribal agencies in "signature strikes" because they "behave like terrorists".

My hunch is that that is the real story behind the reuniting of the Pakistani Taliban with the Afghan Taliban:

On the directive of their supreme leader Mulla Mohammad Omar, the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban on Sunday formed a joint five-member Shura or council with Pakistani militant organisations, making a pledge to stop their fight against their own armed forces and instead focus their attention against the US-led forces in Afghanistan.

After weeks of hectic efforts, a high-level delegation of the Afghan Taliban, sent by the Taliban supreme leader, finally succeeded in bringing together different Pakistan militant groups on a single platform and make a promise that they would stop fighting the Pakistani security forces and end suicide attacks, kidnappings for ransom and killing of innocent people in the country, particularly in the militancy-hit tribal areas.
...
Mulla Omar, according to Taliban sources, wanted the Pakistani Taliban groups to focus on Afghanistan, where their fight against the foreign forces was in a decisive phase. "Convey my message to the Pakistani Taliban that you have forgotten the real purpose, which is to fight the invading forces in Afghanistan and liberate it from their occupation," said a Taliban leader quoting Mulla Omar.

I believe that the Pakistani military intelligence service ISI has promised the Pakistani Taliban that the drones will not fly again and that it will stop the Pakistani military fight against the Taliban in Pakistan. That, in my view, would be the concession the Pakistani Taliban will have asked for to end the fight within their country and to re-concentrate on Afghanistan.

If this works out as planned the Afghan Taliban, reinforced with Pakistani fighters and resources, will be able to push for more territorial gain in Afghanistan in 2012 than they achieved last year.

Meanwhile the U.S. embassy in Pakistani is working on another likely fruitless project to fight "extremism" in Pakistan:

The three-person unit in the U.S. Embassy public affairs section was established in July. It plans to work with local partners, including moderate religious leaders, to project their counter-extremist messages and push back against the militants' extensive propaganda machine, said U.S. officials.

It will use TV shows, documentaries, radio programs and posters. It also intends to ramp up exchange programs for religious leaders and public outreach to conservative Muslims who previously had little contact with American officials.

"There are a lot of courageous voices speaking out against extremism here in Pakistan," said Tom Miller, head of public affairs at the U.S. Embassy. "Our job is to find out how we can amplify those narratives."

The unit is just now ramping up operations, said officials. It was funded with an initial budget of $5 million that officials hope will grow. Officials declined to provide details on specific programs they are funding or plan to fund, for fear that publicly acknowledging U.S. involvement would discredit their partners.

The money flow is unlikely to stay secret and the blowback against those "moderates" who are dumb enough to take it will be harsh. The U.S. still fails to see that "extremism" in Pakistani is to a large part a reaction to what the U.S. does in Pakistan and elsewhere and not to what it, or its payed surrogates, say.

Posted by b on January 2, 2012 at 10:42 AM | Permalink
M of A - Taliban Reunite For More Afghan Action

 

[boris]

But the question is where in the world is mullah omar.Not even a proper photo of him exists.

Another question I have for Pakistani members is-how many of you believe that the Taliban has been helped by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary guard Corps?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Al-Qaida, Taliban commanders seek Pakistani militants’ help to fight US forces in Afghanistan

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, January 2, 10:37 AM

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — Prominent al-Qaida and Afghan Taliban fighters asked Pakistani militants in a pair of rare meetings to set aside their differences and step up support for the battle against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, militant commanders said Monday.

The meetings were held in Pakistan’s tribal region in November and December at the request of the Afghan Taliban’s leadership council. They could indicate the militants are struggling in Afghanistan, or conversely, that they want to make sure they hit U.S. forces hard as the Americans accelerate their withdrawal this year. That could give the Taliban additional leverage in any peace negotiations.

“For God’s sake, forget all your differences and give us fighters to boost the battle against America in Afghanistan,” senior al-Qaida commander Abu Yahya al-Libi told Pakistani fighters at a meeting on Dec. 11, according to a militant who attended.

Pakistani militants have long been split over where they should focus their fighting. The Pakistani Taliban have concentrated on toppling their own government, although they have sent some fighters to Afghanistan. Other Pakistani groups based in the tribal region have almost exclusively directed their attacks against foreign forces in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella organization set up in 2007 to represent roughly 40 insurgent groups, has also been split by infighting over turf and leadership positions after commanders were killed by the Pakistani military and U.S. drone strikes.

The group has fractured into more than 100 smaller factions, a process that some analysts have suggested would take a toll on militants fighting in Afghanistan by making it increasingly difficult for them to find recruits, as well as restricting territory in Pakistan available to them.

Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud attended the two meetings on Nov. 27 in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, and Dec. 11 in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told The Associated Press.

Other prominent Pakistani militant leaders who attended included Mehsud’s deputy, Waliur Rehman, and two commanders who have focused on fighting in Afghanistan, Maulvi Nazir and Gul Bahadur, Ehsan said. Also there was Sirajuddin Haqqani, an Afghan militant based in North Waziristan who leads one of the most feared groups fighting in Afghanistan.

The Afghan Taliban fighters at the meetings included Zabiullah Mujahid, a well-known spokesman, and Maulvi Sangin, who claims to have custody of U.S. Army Pvt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, captured in Afghanistan in 2009.

The four Pakistani commanders and Haqqani agreed to form a council to resolve differences, said two Pakistani Taliban commanders who attended the meetings. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

A pamphlet handed out in North Waziristan over the past two days announced the formation of the five-member committee, saying it was established in consultation with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name given to the country by the Taliban. It called on Pakistani militants to coordinate with each other and “avoid unwarranted killings and kidnappings for ransom.”

“If any holy warrior is found involved in an unjustified murder or crime, he will be answerable to the committee and could face Islamic punishment,” said the pamphlet, a copy of which was obtained by the AP.

Al-Libi, the al-Qaida commander, asked the Pakistani militants to provide additional fighters to the Afghan Taliban in March, when the snow melts from the passes connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan and the spring fighting season begins.

Ehsan, the Pakistani Taliban spokesman, said the militants agreed, but that did not mean the group would end its fight against the Pakistani government.

“We will continue our jihad against Pakistani security forces,” Ehsan pledged.

Al-Qaida, Taliban commanders seek Pakistani militants’ help to fight US forces in Afghanistan - The Washington Post

 

[karan.1970]

2 points

1. This puts an end to the nonsense arguments some Pakistani members used to come up with regarding whether TTP is Taliban or not.. Basically puts the rest the Good Taliban, Bad Taliban debate since it seems Mullah Omar is able to control both

2. Not too sure how much of pride can be associated with Pakistani army who now has allies like TTP which were earlier professed to be terrorists..

 

[53fd]

This seems a little fishy. Here is another source reporting this news:

Three major Pakistani Taliban commanders have joined forces, a development that poses a significant threat to Pakistan’s stability and could hamper U.S. efforts to flush out al Qaeda from a safe haven in the country’s lawless borderlands, the Washington Times reported in its Tuesday edition.

People based in North and South Waziristan along Pakistan´s border with Afghanistan told The Washington Times that the top Pakistani Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, and two rival Taliban chiefs, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Nazeer, met at an undisclosed location recently and settled their differences to unite against U.S. and Pakistani government operations in the region.

The Pakistanis, who asked not to be named to protect themselves from Taliban reprisals, said the unified group is calling itself the Shura-e-Ittehadul Mujahedeen (Council of United Holy Warriors).

To read the complete article, go here:

ONLINE - International News Network

 

[SMC]

2 points

1. This puts an end to the nonsense arguments some Pakistani members used to come up with regarding whether TTP is Taliban or not.. Basically puts the rest the Good Taliban, Bad Taliban debate since it seems Mullah Omar is able to control both

2. Not too sure how much of pride can be associated with Pakistani army who now has allies like TTP which were earlier professed to be terrorists..

Naa, I am afraid this is not as simple. TTP didn't listen to Mullah Omar in the past, when he at several occasions asked them to stop attacking Pakistan. It made no difference to them, and I don't expect much will happen now either.

Secondly, even if they do stop attacking Pakistan, it won't be because they want to do it voluntarily, but rather they'll do it for survival - because they've been mowed down by PA and are probably not too far from being completely destroyed.

Lastly, TTP is not even a monolith group anymore like it used to be. It is now basically independent splinter groups. Some of these groups may choose to fight NATO, some may not.

 

[Pak47]

Another American military plan that failed.

 

[SMC]

^ American and bharati, to be precise.

 

[FireFighter]

2 points

1. This puts an end to the nonsense arguments some Pakistani members used to come up with regarding whether TTP is Taliban or not.. Basically puts the rest the Good Taliban, Bad Taliban debate since it seems Mullah Omar is able to control both

2. Not too sure how much of pride can be associated with Pakistani army who now has allies like TTP which were earlier professed to be terrorists..

1. Pakistan Army is still at war with those who have participated in terrorism inside its territory. They just killed Qari Zaman of the TTP 2 days ago shows they r not willing to forgive or let go these ppl at any cost.

2. Bad taliban are those that are at war with Pakistan, the good ones are those that never goto war with Pakistan, never attack or spread hatred against Pakistan. There are no permanent friends or foes as per madam Hilary who is negotiating with the GOOD ones now...Simple as that

 

[karan.1970]

Naa, I am afraid this is not as simple. TTP didn't listen to Mullah Omar in the past, when he at several occasions asked them to stop attacking Pakistan. It made no difference to them, and I don't expect much will happen now either.

Secondly, even if they do stop attacking Pakistan, it won't be because they want to do it voluntarily, but rather they'll do it for survival - because they've been mowed down by PA and are probably not too far from being completely destroyed.

Lastly, TTP is not even a monolith group anymore like it used to be. It is now basically independent splinter groups. Some of these groups may choose to fight NATO, some may not.

No matter how you spin it, the ties between the so called good Taliban and Bad Taliban are coming into view...

 

[Irfan Baloch]

2. Not too sure how much of pride can be associated with Pakistani army who now has allies like TTP which were earlier professed to be terrorists..

then dont assosiate it why do you want to be the mouthpeace and advocate of the terrorists? did you hear anyone of us supporting this nonsense? did you read anything from ISPR saying that it considers TTP as its ally?

not sure why you are mouring the lost pride when there is no word from the army. lets give it a rest shall we?

TTP are still our enemy and so are their sponsers

 

[SMC]

No matter how you spin it, the ties between the so called good Taliban and Bad Taliban are coming into view...

And how is this spinning it? Did you offer any constructive arguments against me? So I am spinning it by saying that TTP is not doing anything out of their heart but only so they can survive?

Bharatis and their massive, massive oversimplifying pf facts or arguments. Never a day without it. What a bunch of bholas these guys are.