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Militants say deal with Pakistan ‘worthless’
ISLAMABAD - Taliban militants said Monday their peace deal with the Pakistani government was "worthless" after authorities sent helicopters and artillery against hide-outs of Islamist guerrillas seeking to extend their grip along the Afghan border.A collapse of the pact would likely please Obama administration officials pressing Islamabad hard for more robust action against extremists threatening stability in Pakistan and U.S. and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan. President Asif Ali Zardari called for more foreign support for cash-strapped Pakistan to prevent any danger of its nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of al-Qaida and its allies. ...... Some terrified residents have fled the area clutching no more than their children and a few belongings. At least one soldier was killed Sunday. A spokesman for the Taliban in their Swat Valley stronghold denounced the operation as a violation of the pact and said their fighters were on alert and waiting to see if a hard-line cleric who mediated the deal pronounced it dead. "The agreements with the Pakistan government are worthless because Pakistani rulers are acting to please Americans," Muslim Khan, spokesman for Taliban militants in the Swat Valley, told The Associated Press. A spokesman for Sufi Muhammad said the cleric was trapped in his home in the same area of Lower Dir attacked by troops Friday and that his supporters have been unable to contact him. "We will not hold any talks until the operation ends," spokesman Izzat Khan said. Posted by: Kofi Claitle6576 2009-04-27 |
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