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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan not doing enough on terrorism, U.S. says |
| 2006-05-06 |
| KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan is not doing enough to help root out Taliban and al Qaeda leaders who have found safe haven in its lawless tribal lands along the Afghan border, a senior U.S. security official said on Saturday. Most al Qaeda and Taliban leaders are in Pakistan, and while the United States did not know where Osama bin Laden was hiding, he was probably on the Pakistan side of the border, said Henry Crumpton, State Department coordinator for counterterrorism. Pakistan, a vital U.S. security ally, has arrested hundreds of al Qaeda members and lost hundreds of its troops battling militants. But Afghan officials have complained insurgents were able to gather support and launch raids from the safety of Pakistani territory. Violence has intensified in parts of Afghanistan in recent months to its worst level since U.S. and Afghan opposition forces ousted the Taliban in 2001. "Has Pakistan done enough? I think the answer is 'no'," Crumpton told a news briefing in the Afghan capital, Kabul. "Not only al Qaeda, but Taliban leadership are primarily in Pakistan, and the Pakistanis know that," Crumpton added. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan deteriorated sharply this year when Afghanistan again said Taliban leaders were operating from Pakistan. Pakistan rejects accusations it helps the Taliban. Crumpton said eliminating militant safe havens in Pakistan's tribal lands was crucial. "It's something we have to help the Pakistanis work through because it cannot remain a safe haven for enemy forces," he said. "Right now, parts of Pakistan are, indeed, that." The militants are fighting to oust foreign troops and the government. They have launched a wave of roadside and suicide bombings, attacks and assassinations in recent months. "We are concerned by the increase in violence in the south and east," Crumpton said. "We see the alliance of al Qaeda and elements of the Taliban, and, increasingly, narco-traffickers -- a confluence of allies -- is a cause for concern," he said. More than 7,000 NATO troops, most from Britain, Canada and the Netherlands, are in, or soon arriving in, the dangerous Afghan south. NATO will take command there from a separate U.S.-led force in July. The deployments will let the United States cut its Afghan force by several thousand, to about 16,500. Critics say the NATO troops risk getting bogged down in a relentless insurgency, funded in part by the huge opium trade and sustained by havens in Pakistan. |
| Posted by:john |
| #6 "...Iceland launches an amphibious assault on Nova Scotia." And the Principality of Monaco siezes Spains, Palma de Mallorca! -M |
| Posted by: Manolo 2006-05-06 22:18 |
| #5 Then in a final moment of craziness Iceland launches an amphibious assault on Nova Scotia. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-05-06 18:21 |
| #4 I can see the sides lining up pretty clearly for a Guns of August replay. U. S. airstrikes on Iranian sites. Iran and Hezhbollah sense it's now or never and ignite war in Israel and southern Iraq. Rapid response by Israel extends tooccupation of Damascus. Iraqis sieze Iranian gulf oil fields. Pakistani seething erupts into war with India and Afghanistan. Nothing is concluded mnearly as quickly as either side expected. Do we get all Perv's nukes? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-05-06 16:10 |
| #3 Besides Cricket, Perfidy is their game. |
| Posted by: Duh! 2006-05-06 15:52 |
| #2 publicly saying what's been said in private to no avail? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-05-06 15:05 |
| #1 The official motto of the Pakistan Army is Iman-Taqwa-Jihad fi sabilillah Faith, Fear of Allah, Jihad in the way of Allah Kinda makes sense that they won't hunt jihadis too hard. |
| Posted by: john 2006-05-06 14:39 |