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| India-Pakistan |
| Isaf reluctant to act against Pakistani Taliban |
| 2011-09-10 |
| [Dawn] The NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... -led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan is resisting Islamabad's pressure for a big push against Orcs and similar vermin in eastern Afghan provinces, where most of Pak Taliban have set up sanctuaries and have launched multiple attacks from there on Pakistain's border checkposts. The differences could result in another rough patch in military and intelligence ties between Pakistain and the US, which leads the NATO mission in Afghanistan. The relations were gradually improving after months of friction. Isaf Commander Gen John Allen, who was on his first visit to Pakistain on Wednesday after taking over the coalition command in Afghanistan, had to listen to protests by Pak generals upset over the ease with which Pak Taliban who, after fleeing military operations in the country, launched attacks in Dir and Chitral from their sanctuaries in Kunar and Nuristan. A day earlier, Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani ... four star general, current Chief of Army Staff of the Mighty Pak Army. Kayani is the former Director General of ISI... had visited Chitral and adjoining areas that witnessed Taliban attacks and the issue was also discussed on Thursday at the Corps Commanders conference, underscoring the seriousness being attached by the army to the issue. Gen Allen, according to one source, was categorically told that it was the responsibility of Isaf and Afghan National Army to prevent future incursions. Pak military has avoided threatening hot pursuit of raiding cut-thoats; however, Gen Allen was told that further attacks would not be tolerated. Pak forces in the past hit back at fleeing forces of Evil by firing rockets that strayed across the border, riling up Afghans. The strategy was later changed and use of "excessive force was avoided to prevent civilian casualties on Afghan side". Military officials suggest that the policy may be reversed if Isaf and the Afghan army did not act against sanctuaries of Pak Taliban in Afghanistan. The Isaf command had earlier announced that it would expand its operations eastwards to regions it had vacated a year ago, including Kunar and Nuristan, for interdicting bad boy operations along the Pak-Afghan border, but it is reluctant to launch another major operation. The reduced troop number because of the drawdown has further complicated prospects of a major offensive in eastern provinces. The NATO-led forces are now relying more on the Afghan army and special operations as they shift the focus back to the east. Gen Allen in his meetings appeared to be confident that the new combination was working well, despite the fact that August saw the highest number of American fatalities since the war began in 2001 and the downing of Chinook helicopter by Taliban in eastern province of Wardak. At the corps commanders' conference, the army top brass agreed to augment paramilitary deployment in areas bordering Nuristan and Kunar to counter any attacks in future. |
| Posted by:Fred |