Islamabad in a fix over joining US-led coalition

[Mughal-Prince]

Waiting and watching is exactly why Pakistan's security situation deteriorated. I say that it should join now, before the situation is allowed to get worse.

[edit]: It seems I'm alone in my opinion. Feel free to try and convince me other wise. I'm open to new, well thought out arguments and opinions.

Try to understand I am not saying the way Kiyani did wait and watch. That was for his own good. Actually a lot of meanings to us has been changed in last decades as what we have bare and through surprises we have learned. Here when I say wait and watch it means Syria is going to be the huge theatre of war between world powers and that probably is going to be a topler of the axis for many economies in near future but in the end as they will leave or rightly say they fled, they will left a huge void to control the territory and that's bound to be happened because the frankenstein they have prepared will eat them instead of others. And when that time will arrive we need to be well prepared to fill the gap. Meanwhile we must keep contingent of 2 Division (50,000) in Saudi Arabia with war machinery at their expenses.

Aur haan bhai Lohar, Murghi khana chalanay walay qasaye aur Fraud Docait say tau aap expect na kijiyaya ga aisa kuch, es kay liyay leadership ki zerorat hai jo kay filhal nazar nahin aate aur haan Cricket aur leadership do alug cheezain hain aap samajh tau gaye hi hoon gay.

 

[black-hawk_101]

This will help Pakistan to get more funds as ME has stopped funding Pakistani since 2001.

 

[PAKISTANFOREVER]

This will help Pakistan to get more funds as ME has stopped funding Pakistani since 2001.

CPEC will take care of that.

 

[shaheenmissile]

Pakistan should stay away from US led war organizations .

 

[PAKISTANFOREVER]

Islamabad in a fix over joining US-led coalition
By Zahid Gishkori
Published: September 21, 2015



ISLAMABAD:
With the war against militancy raging on within its own boundaries, Pakistan has to decide within the coming days whether or not to join the US-backed international alliance against the ultra-extremist Islamic State (IS).

Ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s upcoming trip to the US, the government is in a quandary over how it should respond to Washington’s request to join its military alliance against the militant group, which has established a self-styled Caliphate over large areas in Iraq and Syria.

PM Nawaz is expected to visit New York to address the United Nations General Assembly session next week.

The US started bombing IS hideouts in Syria using bases in Turkey in August last year. It has also formally asked Islamabad to join its military alliance to fight the growing global presence of the terrorist group.

Read: Turkish jets join US-led coalition strikes on Islamic State

“Pakistan is caught between the American demand and its own ongoing battle against the militants,” a senior government official said on Sunday.

Islamabad has to decide soon with the PM’s trip to the US coming up. The official claimed the premier and army chief General Raheel Sharif are on the same page, unwilling to join the alliance.

Washington is expected to announce this new alliance – Sahel to South Asia – soon and has already taken Islamabad into confidence, he added.

Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah confirmed the US has shared the idea with Pakistan. “Details however are awaited,” he added.

Last month, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice held meetings with the Pakistani military and civilian leadership when she also extended an invitation to Premier Sharif for the Washington visit.

Officials at the PM Secretariat said Gen Raheel and PM Nawaz would this week discuss the US proposal and other issues ranging from the New York visit, Taliban regrouping, al Qaeda and other militant groups sympathetic to the IS.

With Pakistan facing pressure on its eastern and western borders, they said the fear of suspension of the Coalition Support Fund seems to be Washington’s tactic to pressure Islamabad into joining the proposed alliance against IS.

This would certainly feature during PM Nawaz’s visit to New York this month and then again during the strategic dialogue between the US and Pakistan scheduled for October this year, they added.

Military officials did not comment on the issue when contacted. Senior diplomats said US envoys had been given the task to meet leaders of major political parties to drum up support for this alliance.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Islamabad said President Obama developed a plan last year for partnerships from South Asia to the Sahel region, allowing the US to train, build capacity and facilitate partner countries on the frontlines against terrorism. “We continue to coordinate with partners and allies in Europe and the Arab World,” he added.

Iran, Afghanistan and India have already shown willingness to join the alliance to fight against IS.

A spokesperson for the Pakistani Embassy in Washington DC said Pakistan and the US regularly discussed the potential threat of IS keeping in view the evolving nature of terrorism in the Middle East, Sahel region and other parts of Africa and Asia. Pakistan will also participate in the US-led initiative of leaders’ summit on ‘Countering IS and Violent Extremism’ in New York on the sidelines of the forthcoming UN general assembly.

However, Dr Arif Alvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf believes Pakistan should not jump into others’ wars. “We should fight our own war in Pakistan,” he said. “We must stay away from this alliance but we can share intelligence with international forces fighting against IS.”

Read: Islamic State says it could buy nuclear weapon from Pakistan within a year

Nafisa Shah of the Pakistan People’s Party called for a parliamentary debate before responding to the US’s proposal. “I personally support multilateral action against IS as it threatens global peace,” she added.

Pakistan, meanwhile, after denying the presence of IS in the country for long, recently put the name of the terror group on the list of proscribed organisations in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2015.

As if we don't have enough problems with the indian military, illegal Afghans over-running us and terrorists. ISIS is not our problem nor do we need to make it ours. Our nation is tired of fighting for the last 14 years. The Saudi military has more high tech western weaponary than even india does. Why on earth do they need our help? We have a stretched military with limited options. The Saudis have everything at their disposal. Saudi soldiers need to man up and stop behaving like little girls.

 

[Donatello]

US must be offering something in return....i wonder what.

 

[RazorMC]

This is probably gonna surprise a lot of people, but I'm for joining. ISIS already has a presence in the region, and Pakistan will have to deal with it, sooner or later. Its already fighting ISIS affiliates in the tribal region anyway.

Besides, Pakistan can extract concessions from the US, as preconditions to join.

Pakistan can't afford to sit back, as history has shown, the situation will only become worse for it. The last time Pakistan sat back, AQ was given room to gain a foothold in it's tribal region, the consequences of which we see today; ISIS is far more dangerous and would be harder to remove.

This doesn't have to be a separate war, rather it could be a continuation and expansion of ZeA, which many have already been advocating.

Fighting American wars serve against our well-being.

And sad to say this, but our foriegn office has neither the tact and skill, nor the room to negotiate concessions from the US. According to the US, this war against ISIS is in our ineterests and therefore should be viewed as an opportunity to avert a bigger disaster, not to get concessions.

How do we expand Zarb-e-Azb to the Middle-East? What message will it send to the GCC when we might be required to send troops to foreign soil while we refused the Saudi request?

The USofA has played a big role in its creation and so must also bear the burden of dealing with ISIS.

US must be offering something in return....i wonder what.

That's not clear at this point, and not even certain if they are offering anything at all.

During the height of their campaign in Afghanistan when Pakistan's support was critical, what exactly were we offered? Compare that to this campaign where Pakistan's involvement might be important, but not as crucial.

 

[Fracker]

May be against their Afghanistan chapter, but in Iraq or Syria a big no. We have our own problems which need to solve first .

 

[PAKISTANFOREVER]

Fighting American wars serve against our well-being.

And sad to say this, but our foriegn office has neither the tact and skill, nor the room to negotiate concessions from the US. According to the US, this war against ISIS is in our ineterests and therefore should be viewed as an opportunity to avert a bigger disaster, not to get concessions.

How do we expand Zarb-e-Azb to the Middle-East? What message will it send to the GCC when we might be required to send troops to foreign soil while we refused the Saudi request?

The USofA has played a big role in its creation and so must also bear the burden of dealing with ISIS.

The American, Western and European public are fed up with the nato war on terror and are completely against sending their troops in. Especially after Iraq and Afghanistan. Someone needs to fight these western wars. The Americans and GCC see us as the cannon fodder for this role. No thanks. Send in the israelis and give them a chance of fighting someone other than women and children.

 

[Politico]

pakistan must never trust devil amrika 2 join any war. devil amrika want 2 weak pakistan army 2 send them 2 fight daesh 2 let indian army kill more pakistani on border. better 4 pakistan 2 offer 2 join russia but russia supporting dog assad so not help there. so better 4 pakistan 2 only offer help 2 saudia if saudia be attack by daesh

 

[Hyperion]

It's a trap. A Saudi trap to be precise. Furthermore, Islamabad is always in a quandary, so what's new there?

 

[LonE_WolF]

we should simply tell them that we are busy eliminating terrorists in our own backyard.
but ISIS has its presence in afghanistan, so we should join the coalition, get military aid, and make sure they don't find a foothold in afghanistan and our tribal areas (Airstrikes only). And fighting in iraq/syria is a big NO.

 

[Al-Taïr]

I think pakistan&iran should work with russia to bring assad&rebels to a peace/shared powered agreement, if we can pull that off, syria & turkey will handle Isis them selves.

 

[RazorMC]

It's a trap. A Saudi trap to be precise. Furthermore, Islamabad is always in a quandary, so what's new there?

KSA wants to keep ISIS at arm's length, that's all. Everyone else can die.

 

[Cash GK]

let iindia join this. we dont need to get in.we have to complete our trade routes to china. I hope indian will join this and it will bite back india after some time.that will be fun time. as pak will have chance to send kapooter to distroy indian airforce basses. as our air basses are been attacked pak has to use the same mathod like indian atomic sub was destroyed.