Taliban has `huge' presence in Pakistan: Zardari

[BanglaBhoot]

NEW YORK, Feb 14 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - The Taliban has established itself across a large part of Pakistan, forcing the country to fight a war against the hardline Islamist group that is about Pakistan's own survival, President Asif Zardari told CBS News.

"(The Taliban) do have a presence in huge amounts of land in our side. Yes, that is the fact," Zardari told "60 Minutes" in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday, excerpts of which were released on Friday.

US President Barack Obama said this week there was no doubt terrorists were operating in safe havens in the tribal regions of Pakistan, and the United States wanted to make sure Islamabad was a strong ally in fighting that threat.

Obama and Zardari spoke by telephone on Wednesday, the Pakistani foreign ministry said. The two discussed the surge in violence by al Qaeda and the Taliban, which has stepped up its insurgency against U.S. forces and the Afghan government.

Zardari said Pakistan had been in denial about the Taliban in the past. "Our forces weren't increased ... . We have weaknesses and they are taking advantage of that weakness," he said.

Zardari has now put 120,000 soldiers into the fight against the Taliban, despite concerns among many Pakistanis that it is fighting a proxy war for the United States.

"We're not doing anybody a favor," Zardari said. "We are aware of the fact it's ... Taliban... trying to take over the state of Pakistan.

"So, we're fighting for the survival of Pakistan. We're not fighting for the survival of anybody else."

Zardari, who was elected last year after the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto in 2007, rejected suggestions that he lacks the full support of the military and intelligence services, saying he was confident they were behind him.

"If that wasn't the case, then Islamabad would have fallen because obviously if the army doesn't do its job, these men are not restricted. They've blown up the Marriott Hotel before. They've attacked us inland before. They would be all around us, wouldn't they?" he said.

Taliban has `huge' presence in Pakistan: Zardari :: :: bdnews24.com ::

 

[Awesome]

The President is hell bent on chasing all foreign investment away!

 

[Contrarian]

This is a serious problem for Pakistan!

And unless this problem is rooted out, there foreign investment cannot be sustained. He is doing the right thing. His priorities are correct.

 

[India_loves_peace]

The President is hell bent on chasing all foreign investment away!

Don't think of short term losses. Mr. Zardari is doing right. If that is the truth it should come out . He is talking of improving the weaknesses of pakistan and that really is positive sign.

 

[slugger]

Zardari: We Underestimated Taliban Threat

some key points

....Now the Muslim militant group has extended its presence from the tribal borderlands inland to larger cities.....

.....He says the Taliban have been taken for granted for a long time. "It's been happening over time and it's happened out of denial. Everybody was in denial. '…They're weak and they won't be able to take over…they won't be able to give us a challenge,'"......

......Zardari is also battling public opinion in Pakistan. Most citizens believe the war against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda is America's war their government is fighting by proxy........


........"We're not doing anybody a favor…We are aware of the fact it's… Taliban…trying to take over the state of Pakistan," he says. "So, we’re fighting for the survival of Pakistan. We’re not fighting for the survival of anybody else.........

.......With Pakistan in possession of about 100 nuclear weapons, a Taliban takeover poses a frightening scenario.......

@Asim Aquil

Without eliminatinting Taliban and continuing to let them exists in your contry as long as they don't harm Pakistanis, you will not recieve Foreign Direct Investments in Pakistan

These guys hate the presence of foreigners in territories they live in, without prejudice and are taking all actions to drive them out

So your path to FDI passes through elimination of the Taliban

Admission is the fist step to solution. so Zardari's statements if followed up by sincere action on by Pakistanis will lead to much greater non-Chinese FDI in Pakistan in the futre

 

[foofighter]

"Shocking" admission. But I'm glad they have come out of denial. Atleast they might do something about it now. And not give any excuse to American to strike deep within Pakistan.

 

[KnightRyder]

This is a serious problem for Pakistan!

And unless this problem is rooted out, there foreign investment cannot be sustained. He is doing the right thing. His priorities are correct.

Your assessment of the situation is wrong on multiple levels.

Zardari is a far bigger threat to Pakistan than the Taliban.

It is because of corrupt and ruthless oppressors like Musharaff and Zardari that the Taliban are in Waziristan and Swat today.


As far as foreign investments are concerned, they're dependent on peace and security of the country as well as market dynamics and growth potential.

What Pakistan needs is to get rid of these nefarious rats like Zardari and his team and appoint just rulers so that peace and security of the people can be established in the region.

Economic growth and prosperity would naturally come to the region once theres a solid justice system of maintaining checks and balances.

 

[Awesome]

Zardari: We Underestimated Taliban Threat

some key points



@Asim Aquil

Without eliminatinting Taliban and continuing to let them exists in your contry as long as they don't harm Pakistanis, you will not recieve Foreign Direct Investments in Pakistan

These guys hate the presence of foreigners in territories they live in, without prejudice and are taking all actions to drive them out

So your path to FDI passes through elimination of the Taliban

Admission is the fist step to solution. so Zardari's statements if followed up by sincere action on by Pakistanis will lead to much greater non-Chinese FDI in Pakistan in the futre

So eliminate the problem, hes whimpering and cowering like a damsel in distress calling for night vigilante to come to the rescue.

 

[Vinod2070]

"We're not doing anybody a favor," Zardari said. "We are aware of the fact it's ... Taliban... trying to take over the state of Pakistan.

"So, we're fighting for the survival of Pakistan. We're not fighting for the survival of anybody else."

So true. Many are still in denial though.

Taliban has more chances of success in Pakistan than in Afghanistan, it seems. At least the number of their supporters seem to be more numerous here.

 

[third eye]

Well, the 1st step to solve a prob is to admit there is one.

 

[was]

to indians. mind your buisness,you'v got what you wanted

 

[Awesome]

Dude all of Afghanistan is under Taliban control havent you seen the maps of Taliban control?

We may be overseas Pakistanis but we frequent there a lot. There is no Talibanization in any areas where the general public is. Its a problem everywhere but there's no lasting presence which would be described as "huge" in common areas of Pakistan.

 

[pama]

to indians. mind your buisness,you'v got what you wanted

Why not they pose treat to all countries in region.

 

[slugger]

So eliminate the problem, hes whimpering and cowering like a damsel in distress calling for night vigilante to come to the rescue.

How would you have preferred he's respond when asked about Taliban and its Pakistan presence?

And considereing Taliban-Pakistan hyphenation, it'd probably be the first question that had been put forth to him [just seen the relevant clipping - not the full part]

Dude all of Afghanistan is under Taliban control havent you seen the maps of Taliban control?

We may be overseas Pakistanis but we frequent there a lot. There is no Talibanization in any areas where the general public is. Its a problem everywhere but there's no lasting presence which would be described as "huge" in common areas of Pakistan.

As for showing the presence of Taliban through a map, a similar map shows the presence of the Taliban in Pakistan. Considering the size of Pakistan, it surely looks significat

Surely nobody expects the Talibans haven't started sipping tea with Dawood Ibrahim in Clifton, that would have been a seriuos insult to Pakistan.

But even without their presence in Clifton, their presence in other parts of Pakistan as shown in the map is significant enough for such an admission

 

[Jihad]

WHAT A PATHETIC **** LITTLE WEAKLING.
WHAT A MORONIC LEADER WE HAVE.
INSTEAD OF CRYING TO AMERICAN NEWS AGENCIES, GET THE F*CKING JOB DONE, GET OFF YOUR CORRUPT *** AND DO SOMETHING.
IF YOU CANNOT, THEN STEP DOWN AND MAKE ROOM FOR SOMEONE WITH A PURE HEART AND SOMEONE WHO IS NOT AFRAID.
YOU F-ing MORON.

Sorry for the rant..........feel free to delete it or snap it out if you like.
I cannot believe he is saying this, we can win this war so easily if the right and correct steps are taken by the right people.
What a weakling, he's no good, Pakistan needs strength and faith, the Pakistani people need to believe in a bright future.
With this piece of ___, we will be sitting ducks untill the next election, and in the meantime, I hope the people who voted for him will be sorry and will be suffering because they had so much sympathy for his wife's death, they chose him without thinking of the consequense for our entire nation.