U.S. efforts fail to convince Pakistan's top general to target Taliban

[Chogy]

That is not the 'entire problem in a nutshell'. Primarily, cross-border sanctuaries in North Waziristan are an issue along the Eastern Afghan border and the Afghan provinces in proximity to NW, not all of Afghanistan.

It is absurd to argue that NW is able to provide sanctuary to insurgents across Afghanistan, given that the Taliban are not capable of 'teleportation'. Those insurgents hide, live and carry out attacks from among the local Afghan communities, not out of NW.

Some do, without a doubt. But why are the vast majority of Hellfire missiles falling in Pakistan?

Because we want to irritate you? Ridiculous.

If there were target-rich enclaves within Afghanistan, those would take priority for drone strikes. It is less costly politically to do that.

The missiles are falling on Pakistani soil because that's where a large number of the bad guys do their thing. I have expressed admiration here and on other forums for Pakistani efforts in combatting these thugs. But to turn a blind eye to the problem, to politicize it, does nothing of benefit except to those we want to defeat.

 

[Safriz]

When Irish Republican Army was on terrorism Rampage and Just about every important building in UK was a potential target they came up with new ideas to deal with IRA...Whole country was fitted with so many CCTVs that for every 6 people in UK there was and still is one CCTV camera...Thousands of MI-5 operatives were dedicated to watch CCTV footage and filter out ant suspicious activity...Special software were developed and incorporated via super computers which could automatically analyze thousands of hours of CCTV footage and single out suspicious activities and individuals...Today all text message,internet chat messages and even phone calls are filtered by Super computers for any suspicious activity...

What Pskitistan is doing? To this date i have yet to see a single news report in which they say that a certain suicide bomber has been identified,his name was such and such,lived in such and such locality and his close friends and family have been contacted and questions and police are actively doing background check...identifying why he done it....and who helped him..
After every suicide attack,a news report shows footage of blood,gore and destruction...further encouraging the terrorists that heir "Good work: is paying off...and then all gets rubbed under the carpet..No forensic inquiry...nobody ever identified..
We have the world's biggest biometric database with NADRA..yet no finger prints,face recognition or any other effort of identifying a suicide bomber has yet to be made...May be its thought that the perpetrator being the suicide bomber has died and nothing else can be done...but no...
Its not easy to get access to six seven kilos of high explosive..Build an explosive then meticulously select target and detonate the explosive at the right time for maximum carnage..It cant be one man's work...The suicide bomber dies but the rest ofthe bad guys remain atlarge..Only because no real effort is made to identify and arrest them.

 

[muse]

it, does nothing of benefit except to those we want to defeat.

And by extension, Pakistan's long term interests do not seek the defeat of these same?

Perhaps this is true - so can the interests of Pakistan and US be aligned such that both short term and long terms interests are aligned? No, they can't - the US's long term interests are aligned with those of her strategic ally and hostile to those of Pakistan and to those of her strategic ally, China.

So the issue the US has is one which she refers to as "sanctuaries" - without a doubt there is much to and fro traffic - what always confuses me is how the Afghan and US?NATO allow this traffic to continue -- Sure Pakistan does a terrible job at controlling the border, but why does the US continue to do a bad job of controlling the traffic across the border where these so called sanctuaries exist??? Could it be that US has no interest in controlling this traffic but does use the excuse of "sanctuaries" in a effort to coerce Pakistani policy to be aligned with those of the US?? Certainly there is suspicion in Pakistan, that this is entirely the case, after all, why can't Afghan and US/NATO control the border across from North Waziristan??

 

[Omar1984]

U.S. should realize that Pakistan also has its interests in Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan share a huge border. We've seen in these past 9 and half years that whatever happens in Afghanistan directly affects Pakistan.

And we know that when Afghan Taliban come back to power in Afghanistan then there'll be an indian-free Afghanistan (like back in the 90's), which is in the best interest of Pakistan.


General Kayani said his army is india-centric. He's anti-indian and he is a Pakistani nationalist who puts Pakistan's interests first. I'm glad he is the most powerful man in Pakistan.

 

[PAFAce]

^For any talks to proceed militancy has to be ended first..as these two, can not go hand in hand.

The militancy was a result of your actions in Kashmir. Let's treat the root of the problem and the symptoms will take care of themselves. The most recent uprising in Kashmir involved no militancy, yet over a hundred were killed. If militancy is wrong because defenseless civilians are killed, then what makes the actions of your forces right?

Anyway, if India were serious about the WoT and on ending tensions, Pakistan would be more than happy to put the Taliban as priority number 1. However, we all know what India wants as the final outcome of the War in Afghanistan, and therefore, India remains the top threat.

 

[Mercenary]

I think the only way to get Pakistan to into North Waziristan to take out those terrorists is to give Pakistan weaponry which can replace those Militants as proxies to wage war against Numerical superior India.

Pakistan uses these guys as military assets. Hence if Pakistan loses these military assets in its fight against India, then Pakistan needs to be compensated.

There won't be a Nuclear War between India and Pakistan as both countries have nuclear weapons.

And thus if USA does give Pakistan large number of high-tech weaponry such as latest and modern Gunships, Fighter Air Craft, Destroyers, Infantry Fighting Vehicles, APC, etc. that will compensate for the loss of these militants.

But that has to be guaranteed on Paper. Similarly in the way, USA gives military aid to Colombia and Egypt despite either Democrats or Republicans in power in the White House.

A similar arrangement needs to be done with Pakistan.

And its not a Zero Sum Game. Pakistan getting modern weaponry will offset the massive conventional advantage India has over Pakistan but will make Pakistan a much more dangerous target should India try to initiate a limited Conventional War.

This is the message that needs to get across Washington.

Pakistan Army will go into North Waziristan only if Pakistan has guarantee on Paper that Pakistan will receive large numbers of modern American Weaponry and will continue to receive it in the future despite all the protests that India can muster.

If USA can give high tech and large number of weaponry to both Egypt and Israel then why can't a similar arrangement be made for Pakistan and India.

 

[muse]

Pakistan uses these guys as military assets.

Rubbish - you throw slanderous remarks around with such casualness and then have the cheek to suggest that what Pakistan really seek is weaponry against India as a price to act in her own interests. Please refrain making such statements, they are entirely misleading and unhelpful.

 

[BATMAN]

I think Pak army is fully occupied and thus far response from US in return to all efforts of Pakistan against al-qaeeda was very disappointing.

In return Pakistan got gift of TTP and all US aid to Afghanistan had been handed out to Indians in guise of road construction contracts.

US should knew allowing Indians in Afghanistan can be sensitive to Pakistan defence, while allowing them to groom sucide bombers is highly un-thanks giving.

 

[ares]

The militancy was a result of your actions in Kashmir. Let's treat the root of the problem and the symptoms will take care of themselves.

If militancy is due to our actions alone, how come there was no militancy before 1989(as Pakistan started using it's experience gained in Afghan jihad in Kashmir)

or how come Pakistan is able to regulate the level militancy as per its wishes, as evident from Musharraf's U turn.

The most recent uprising in Kashmir involved no militancy, yet over a hundred were killed. If militancy is wrong because defenseless civilians are killed, then what makes the actions of your forces right?

No one regrets loss of civilian lives in Kashmir, more than us(as they are our countrymen) ..but it is the unfortunate outcome prolonged deployment of armed forces in the region(which are required to fight militancy) and unruly mobs..who do not respect public property and indulge in stone pelting.
While armed forces will have show restraint in the future, but in no way separatists can be rewarded for their unlawful actions

Anyway, if India were serious about the WoT and on ending tensions, Pakistan would be more than happy to put the Taliban as priority number 1. However, we all know what India wants as the final outcome of the War in Afghanistan, and therefore, India remains the top threat.

India remains a status quo state..we do not want the present oder to change...may that be in kashmir or Pakistan(ie we do not want it to disintegrate or destabilize).

Yes if given a chance India will surround you from Afghanistan(or even Balochistan issue)..that is because more involved you are on your western border the less trouble you will create for us in Kashmir.
But in your India centric approach you are letting Taliban breed, who are destabilizing and destroying you from within.

 

[Developereo]

Pakistan will never go against afghan taleban.. afterall it's their ticket to control india from their western border.

Let me get this straight. Instead of 'controlling India' from our shared 1000 mile border, we want to 'control' it from.... Afghansitan?

What?

 

[Safriz]

Let me get this straight. Instead of 'controlling India' from our shared 1000 mile border, we want to 'control' it from.... Afghansitan?

What?

He is on about some kind of remote control...i think

BTW the story is totally opposite..The existence of Taliban gives reason to many countries for intruding in Pakistan's internal affairs,and to use Pakistan as a distraction for their public when their economy is failing...and for using Pakistan as an scape goat for repeatedly failing to keep their borders secure and for failing to provide security to their nationals.

 

[Developereo]

Ths US has to chose between fighting terrorism v/s its China phobia. Does it want Pakistan's full cooperation in this WOT, or does it still want to install an Indian puppet in Afghanistan to strategically weaken China/Pakistan?

The jig is up, and it cannot have both.
It's time to decide.

 

[BATMAN]

There is no doubt that US has China phobia equally as they have Islam phobia.
In order to curb China's growth US is acting irrationally.

 

[fatman17]

Now fearing de-nuclearization is a silly and immature fear I would add. Even South Africa, Brazil and Ukraine were simply persuaded and complied to surrender their nuclear programme in exchange for incentives. No nuclear country can be forced to de-nuclearize as the article states and Pakistani armed forces' elites know this very well.

However their continued feeding of such fictitious fears puzzles me.

tell u what - start with india - see how it goes, then we will certainly follow suit - and btw good luck

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

I said no to the proposal