Call by Nato commanders ‘to get tough with Pakistan’

[Khehkeshan]

Once, Mush’s buddy Bush is out of office, this is exactly what will happen unless the army can clean up the border areas of Taliban.

As for Mush’s claim that there is no Taliban/Qaeda activity in Quetta because it is the provincial capital with 2 divisions and a corps HQ, not buying it. Kahuta also had a large army presence, but we all know what went on there. The ISI and the jihadis do not report to the army, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Musharraf needs CIA once again to tell him what’s going on in Quetta, Waziristan, Bajaur etc. like with AQ Khan.

If you have seen the PBS documentary, it is clear that the army is lying through its teeth on many issues. This is likely one of them as well. The possibility of NATO/US direct action in western Pakistan is looking very likely as time progresses. I just hope that when it happens, it doesn’t come as a shock to anyone since the signs are already there.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/10/07/top11.htm

Call by Nato commanders ‘to get tough with Pakistan’

LONDON, Oct 6: Nato commanders from five countries who have troops stationed in Afghanistan are demanding their governments get tough with Pakistan over its support for the Taliban, The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.

Commanders from the United States, Britain, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands want their governments to tell Pakistan to stop supporting the Taliban, which has stepped up its attacks in Afghanistan.

“It is time for an ‘either you are with us or against us’ delivered bluntly to Musharraf at the highest political level,” an unnamed Nato commander told the newspaper.

“Our boys in southern Afghanistan are hurting because of what is coming out of Quetta,” the same commander added.

According to the newspaper, Nato’s report on “Operation Medusa”, the bloody campaign between Sept 4 and 17, states that Pakistan’s ISI was involved in supplying the Taliban.

The report apparently estimates that the cost of Taliban ammunition stocks at around 4.9 million dollars.

“The Taliban could not have done this on their own without the ISI,” an unnamed senior Nato officer was quoted as saying.

The report comes a day after Nato took over control of all foreign troops in Afghanistan, with British General David Richards taking charge.

Blair told reporters in London that everybody was better off now in Afghanistan despite the renewed fighting.—Agencies

[Khehkeshan]

Re: Call by Nato commanders ‘to get tough with Pakistan’

Once again after some Western arm twisting and bad media publicity, Mush decides to start taking action. Over the past couple of weeks, numerous Taliban have been caught from hospitals where they were being treated for war injuries. The ISI could have easily reported these Taliban activities to Musharraf and he could have taken action before letting Pakistan be embarrassed in the media. Or maybe he was told and he is deliberately protecting Taliban for some reason.

Either way, lets hope the Taliban HQ in Quetta gets shutdown for good.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061007/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_taliban_arrests_1

48 suspected Taliban caught in Pakistan By ABDUL SATTAR, Associated Press Writer
Sat Oct 7, 7:55 AM ET

QUETTA, Pakistan - Police acting on a tip raided several militant hide-outs in southwestern Pakistan and arrested 48 suspected Taliban who had arrived in small groups from Afghanistan, police said Saturday.

The arrests were made during the past 24 hours in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, said Wazir Khan, the city police chief.

However, no important Taliban figures were among the detainees, he said. They were being questioned to determine the purpose of their presence in Pakistan.

“We arrested these suspected Taliban from different areas, and they had come to Pakistan from southern Afghanistan in recent months,” Khan said, adding none of them had travel documents.

Khan gave no further details.

The arrests came a week after police raided a private hospital in Quetta and detained nine Taliban.

Pakistan was once a main supporter of Afghanistan’s Taliban regime but switched sides after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

The U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and ousted the Taliban.

But resurgent Taliban militants have stepped up their campaign against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan this year. The country has seen the worst bout of violence since the regime was removed from power five years ago.