Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

Did they even wait half day this time? Great blatant lie by taliban spokesman. They love blaming “hidden elements” for all their terrorism. They can kill tribal elders, police FC, and armymen but never know who these “hidden elements” are.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\22\story_22-5-2008_pg1_3
Militants launch offensive in Swat

MINGORA: Militants attacked Matta Police Station, the Ningolay checkpost and the houses of police personnel in various areas of Swat late on Tuesday night, leaving one policeman dead and three injured. They also partially damaged a Sui gas plant in the Balogram area with a bomb, and set fire to two girls’ schools in Matta tehsil and two tourist points in Kalam. Tehreek-e-Taliban Swat spokesman Muslim Khan denied their involvement in the violence. He told Daily Times elements that wanted to sabotage the government-Taliban process were behind the incidents. staff report

2

Great USA is correct. Terrorists will not stop their evil activities by talking alone. Their terrorist infrastructure and safe haven in Pakistan needs to be destroyed so that they do not regroup and kill more innocent people.

Age and Relativity
3

Re: Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

LOL Maharaja Musharraf disagrees:

US should give time for peace agreement to work: Musharraf
** President underlines importance of US support to counter terrorism

  • US delegates applaud Pakistan’s commitment to combat extremism*
    **
    RAWALPINDI: Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to fight terrorism, President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday asked the United States to understand ground realities in Pakistan and give time for the peace agreement made by the NWFP government to work.**

Talking to two US Congressional delegations led by Senator Ben Nelson and Congressman Adam Schiff at his Camp Office in Rawalpindi, the president said Pakistan considered US Congress’ support for the broadening of mutual ties very important.

“The president underlined the importance of congressional support for counter-terrorism initiatives of the government, namely the FATA Development Plan, capacity building of the Frontier Corps (FC) and establishment of the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (RoZs),” the Foreign Office said.

A Foreign Office spokesman said Musharraf also underlined Pakistan’s contribution to international counter-terrorism efforts and stressed the importance of the government’s strategy that covered political, military and socio-economic dimensions.

Efforts to strengthen security along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border were also discussed.

Extremism: The visiting delegates applauded Pakistan’s commitment to combating extremism, and reaffirmed their support for Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts and social development goals.

The delegation led by Senator Ben Nelson included Congressman Allen Boyd and Congressman Nick Lampson, and the delegation led by Congressman Adam Schiff consisted of Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz and Congressman Wayne Gilchrist.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, in his meetings with the visiting delegations at Prime Minister’s House, said no system was better suited to combat terrorism than democracy.

He asked the US to support the democratically elected government’s efforts to stabilise its economy and improve the population’s living standards.

“The world community has to develop a collective approach to arrest the trend of terrorism and extremism by addressing its root causes,” he added. He stressed the need for enhanced intelligence sharing between the two countries.

“Pakistan values its strategic relationship with the US and desires to expand co-operation in trade, investment, economic and social sectors,” he told the visiting delegates, who were accompanied by US Ambassador Anne W Patterson. He asked the US for greater market access to Pakistani products.

Gilani said political dialogue with moderate elements that had renounced war and laid down arms, economic uplift and empowerment of the Tribal Areas through establishment of ROZs and a continued campaign against the extremists and terrorists comprised the new government’s three-pronged strategy against terrorism.

“Pakistan believes a varying combination of these elements will eventually help achieve the common objective,” he said, urging the senators to ensure early passage of the legislation pertaining to the ROZs. The delegates said relations with Pakistan and its people were very important for the US and that the US wanted to develop stable and multi-faceted relationship with Pakistan. staff report/online

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\05\28\story_28-5-2008_pg7_1

4

Re: Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

Musharraf has no choice but to go along with NWFP government. He's just trying to give it a positive spin for Pakistan's sake.

PTI Vs PTI
5

Re: Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

yeah sure :hehe:

6

I heard he is a good spinner :hehe:

7

Re: Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

What do you want him to say? That this deal is a disaster and Pakistan is now a pro-terrorist country?

8

Don't forget that he has also given same strategy a shot in not so distant past, a half-hearted shot, lets see what actually happens in coming days.

9

He gave it a shot, it failed, time to move on to new strategy, not to repeat the same over and over again.

10

Re: Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

Yet he is now praising the same policies again? haha this is funny! I think hes grown quite senile in the last year or so, or maybe hes just suffering from short term memory losses.

11

Re: Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

He's putting on a brave face on an ugly situation.

12

Re: Great success of peace deal with jihadi Taliban

More like an embarrassed face.

13

A strategy can be called "failed" if it was implemented completely, a ceasefire is not worth the paper its written on if the govt acts opposite of whats on the paper (Hint: no 'chowkis' in FATAs on paper but next day there were several police/LEA chowkis). Paying few million bucks to Mehsud one day and then putting blame for all terrorism/attempted-murder on Mehsud tells a lot too.

happy birthday sweetpoison
14

All it tells is that peace deals with people who are opposed to not only Pakistan but the concept of a nation state is asking for failure. Chowkis and patrols on the metaled roads are allowed traditionally in FATA and there was no clause against them, but Taliban doesn't want any non Taliban person in their area. So, if that is the case, that area might as well be independent.

15

Britain Defence Sec endorses talks with Taliban

James Grubel

Reuters North American News Service

May 28, 2008 03:04 EST

CANBERRA, May 28 (Reuters) - Britain’s Defence Minister Des Browne endorsed peace talks between Pakistan and Taliban militants on Wednesday despite concerns from Afghanistan that the talks will allow the Taliban to regroup and launch more attacks.

Browne said Britain supported any moves that would encourage militants to put down their weapons and stop violence, and said Pakistan and Afghanistan needed to work together on problems with their border, much of which is controlled by Taliban insurgents.
He said reconciliation should be a part of any strategy, although it was clear some militants had no intention of putting down their weapons.
“But you can’t kill your way out of these sorts of campaigns,” Browne told journalists at Australia’s National Press Club on Wednesday.
Faced with a wave of suicide attacks, Pakistan has begun talks with Taliban militants who control much of the country’s 2,700 km (1,670 miles) mountain border with Afghanistan.
The Taliban, however, said it would fight in Afghanistan until all foreign troops were driven out of the country, and Afghanistan has expressed concerns about any peace deals.
Browne, in Australia for talks with Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, said sovereign countries had the right to welcome insurgents back into society if they agreed to obey the rule of law and recognise democratic governments.
“If people are prepared to give up violence, put down their weapons, accept and recognise legitimate and democratic government … then the sovereign governments from both countries are entitled to say we will welcome you to become part of our society,” he said.
“That’s their privilege and right. And we in the United Kingdom will support them in doing that.”
Afghan forces, backed by more than 60,000 foreign troops, are engaged in daily battles with Taliban militants, mainly in Afghanistan’s south and east, the areas closest to the border with Pakistan.
Afghan officials have accused Pakistan of allowing the Taliban to use Pakistani territory as a safe haven and an area to regroup and plan further attacks.
Britain has about 7,800 troops in Afghanistan, based mainly in the Helmand province, as part of a NATO force of about 50,000 troops across the country.
Since 2001, when the United States led international forces to topple the Taliban regime, 97 British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.
Australia has about 1,000 troops in Afghanistan, working alongside Dutch forces, including about 300 special forces engaged in missions to track down militants.
In his address to the National Press Club in Canberra, Browne described the military campaign in Afghanistan as a “genuine noble cause”, and said progress was being made in training Afghanistan’s army and police force.
But he said it would be “manifestly daft” to put a timeline on when foreign troops could leave Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan is a challenge to the international community for a generation,” he said. “If we walk away, it will haunt us.”