Govt., N. Waziristan Taliban enter peace agreement

[Owais]

Govt., N. Waziristan Taliban enter peace agreement MIRANSHAH: North Waziristan Grand Peace Jirga has formally announced the peace agreement arrived at between the government and the local Taliban here, which followed pulling out of the security forces check posts from different areas of the Agency.

The members of the Grand Peace Jirga, government officials, tribal elders and local Taliban were also present in the Jirga held here at the Degree College premises.

The decisions taken by the Jirga make it obligatory for the North Waziristan tribal elders, local mujahideens and ulema to ensure ceasing all sorts of attacks on the security forces and government assets, the governance would rests with the Pakistan government only, political administration would be approached for the resolution of all problems and the issues would be resolved under the tribal traditions and FCR.

The Jirga decided that there would be no to and fro crossing on the border for militant action in Afghanistan, all North Waziristan aliens would leave Pakistan and those opting to stay would remain peaceful and respect the law, while the government property, vehicles, wireless sets etc. taken into custody during the skirmishes would be returned to the tribal government.

The Grand Jirga has also decided about some government obligations, which included that the government would free all the persons arrested during the operations and they would not be re-arrested on the basis of past incidents, all the national privileges would be restored and the check posts set up on the roads would be wrapped up, while Khasadar and levies would be posted on the old check posts.

Under the agreement, land and air operation would be stopped and the problems would be resolved in the light of the traditions. The government would pay compensations for the losses incurred during the operation.

Under the tribal tradition, there was no ban on arms and neither the government would be imposing such a ban, but the heavy weapons would remain proscribed.

The implementation of the agreement would commence with the pulling out of the troops from the check posts to the military camps.

Under the agreement, a ten-member committee has also been set up which included ulema, mushiran and members of political administration. This committee would be reviewing implementation of the agreement besides taking action on the violation, if any.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

It is very difficult to chain down people who have been independent in a quasi sort of manner of speaking.

Nothing else could have been done to somehow bring peace to this region.

Musharraf has gone to Afghanistan and let us see what transpires.

Abizaid's visit as a backgrounder to the visit of Musharraf will be interesting to analyse after the meeting.

 

[blain2]

I think Americans too understand that the tribals in Fata etc. have to be pacified to curtail the support for Taliban emergence part deux. I think the Americans are on-board on this one otherwise everyone from NYT to WSJ would have been spewing out editorials blasting GoP for such a move.

Overall this will be good for Pakistan as it allows the GoP to close up a few of the many open fronts and focus on other things. The challenge will be to keep everyone honest about the deal including the Tribals.

 

[Neo]

Well said Blain!

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Notwithstanding, the picture will clear once the meeting is over.

 

[Oracle of Wisdom]

Its all fine and dandy but I hope this time the agreement does not turn out to be as fickle as the one with Nek Muhammad. Lets hope it works out. Personally, I believe the govt. bent over a little too much but it appears that with elections looming Musharraf would like to close some of the fronts to cool things off. Maybe just for now. I think there will be trouble again in the region. Its just a matter of when. If not from the militants side, then certainly from the government side. most likely after elections. I see no reason why else would the govt. just give up without reason. That too when they were supposed to be winning.

 

[Cheetah786]

Osama bin Laden, America's most wanted man, will not face capture in Pakistan if he agrees to lead a "peaceful life," Pakistani officials tell ABC News.

The surprising announcement comes as Pakistani army officials announced they were pulling their troops out of the North Waziristan region as part of a "peace deal" with the Taliban.

If he is in Pakistan, bin Laden "would not be taken into custody," Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan told ABC News in a telephone interview, "as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen."

Bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere in the tribal areas of Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border, but U.S. officials say his precise location is unknown.

In addition to the pullout of Pakistani troops, the "peace agreement" between Pakistan and the Taliban also provides for the Pakistani army to return captured Taliban weapons and prisoners.

"What this means is that the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside Pakistan," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House counter-terrorism director.

The agreement was signed on the same day President Bush said the United States was working with its allies "to deny terrorists the enclaves they seek to establish in ungoverned areas across the world."

The Pakistani Army had gone into Waziristan, under heavy pressure from the United States, but faced a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.

"They're throwing the towel," said Alexis Debat, who is a Senior Fellow at the Nixon Center and an ABC News consultant. "They're giving al Qaeda and the Taliban a blank check and saying essentially make yourselves at home in the tribal areas," Debat said.

 

[parihaka]

Seems like an open invitation for NATO and special forces to go into that region any time they like.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

That maybe the game plan and a good one, wherein Pakistani govt is not blamed and instead it is the NATO!

Of course, the hot pursuits cannot be done in a hamhanded fashion.

The Pakistan govt had no options since the situation was getting rather knotty in these parts and becoming a quagmire sucking in troops without commensurate results.

It was also not in the interest of the government to be seen fighting coreligionists at the behest of the USA.

Jana,

This agreement comes hot on the heels of Abizaid's visit (remember, what I had said and you had queried) and just before or simultaneously with Musharraf's visit to Afghanistan and it will go a long way to bridge the gaps in the Pak Afghan relations.

The very odd, as it appeared then, annoucement of the Canadians to position NATO forces on the Pakistani side of the border apparently falls into place.

 

[Spring Onion]

The agreement had nothign to do with Abized visist or Musharraf's to Afghanistan.
With the appointment of New Governor Ali Jan Orakzai the things going well, cuz being from the area he knows the traditions well and know how to handle them.
The area needed a wise and stric admin who could carry things in a wise manner.

2ndly the persons whit whom the agreement is signed have nothing much to do with Taliban in Afghanistan rather these are locals who were misled and creating problems for govt.
As far as agreement with Nek Muhammad is concerned well he was misled by outsiders he invited his death himself.
i will post about it in details afterwards.

 

[melb4aust]

This is going to be very interested, What would be the reaction of US or NATO. Gotta wait and watch.

The deal is like spilling water on all the US's 5 years of effort to capture Usama and to counter to defeat TALIBANS.

Again Musharaf had no choice except to conduct an agreement, after few late incidents including AKBAR BUGTI's death and the pressure from his fellow generals due to the uneffectiveness of PAK army in the region.( One cant kill his own people ) kind of thing.

 

[Spring Onion]

OBL is not in this part.
So far we accoriding to unconfirmed reports we lost over 350 Pak Armymen in the area while over 700 miscreants have been killed.
Now the agreement is a good Omen and it should had been done b4.
You can not fight some1 eles' war in your own court yard.
forget abt US what she thinks.
Despite all sacrifices and fight against Terrorism she never side with us nor she aknowledges.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Islamabad, Pakistan (AHN) - After signing a truce with pro-Taliban militants on its border with Afghanistan, Pakistan is now extending the olive branch to America's most wanted man; Osama bin Laden.

Pakistani officials tell ABC that the leader of the terror group al-Qaeda, and the mastermind of the September 11th attacks in the U.S. will not face capture if he agrees to lead a "peaceful life."

Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan says that "as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen" bin Laden "would not be taken into custody.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7004763605

and the Treaty signed with the tribal leaders in North Waziristan.

***********************************

The above are masterstrokes that Musharraf has played. Brilliant, in fact.

No longer will Pakistan's own troops battle its own people. It is a larger than life message to the Balochis - play by the rules and all will be well!

This is also a great message to fundamentalists that Pakistan will not fight its own people which is an unIslamic act, in that Moslems killing Moslem. A great message.

The withdrawal of troops from North Waziristan means open hunting season for western forces in the guise of 'Hot Pursuits" and if Osama is nabbed, then neither the Pakistani govt nor Musharraf can be held responsible. After all, the tribal leaders wanted the army to be out!

It is a brilliant move par excellence by Musharraf.

Abizaid's visit and the Canadian proclamation (that was taken back) that western troops should be placed on the Pakistan side of the border could be read in this context.

Great games are being played!

Anything that now happens in the area, the Pakistani govt or Musharraf cannot be blamed.

 

[sigatoka]

"What this means is that the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside Pakistan," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House counter-terrorism director.

"They're throwing the towel," said Alexis Debat, who is a Senior Fellow at the Nixon Center and an ABC News consultant. "They're giving al Qaeda and the Taliban a blank check and saying essentially make yourselves at home in the tribal areas," Debat said.

This was never Pak. war. Western forces have barely committed 30, 000 troops to the fight and they want Pak. a poor nation to fight its dirty war?

Everyone including the Pak. leadership knows that U.S. will drop Pak. like a bad habit as soon as Afghanistan is stable. The current aid package is insufficient to justify such a large committment by Pak. of 80,000 to a previously peaceful region. Secondly its becoming obvious that the Taliban are making up ground, the entire south of Afghanistan is abuzz with Taliban who are flush with cash from the opium boom. Pak. leadership must take into account that the next president of U.S. could simply declare mission accomplished and withdraw troops from Afghanistan. In such a situation, Pak. doesnt need to needlessly make an enemy of the future rulers of Afghanistan.

 

[melb4aust]

This was never Pak. war. Western forces have barely committed 30, 000 troops to the fight and they want Pak. a poor nation to fight its dirty war?

Everyone including the Pak. leadership knows that U.S. will drop Pak. like a bad habit as soon as Afghanistan is stable. The current aid package is insufficient to justify such a large committment by Pak. of 80,000 to a previously peaceful region. Secondly its becoming obvious that the Taliban are making up ground, the entire south of Afghanistan is abuzz with Taliban who are flush with cash from the opium boom. Pak. leadership must take into account that the next president of U.S. could simply declare mission accomplished and withdraw troops from Afghanistan. In such a situation, Pak. doesnt need to needlessly make an enemy of the future rulers of Afghanistan.

These are some very good points you've enlightened. Offcourse who know whats the next US govnt is gonna be like in future. Also mentioned by JANA one cant fight against its own people. Some day that was gonna happen, and it happened. But still US reaction will be amazing after this.