Salahuddin
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LONDON: Nato commanders from five countries, who have troops stationed in Afghanistan, are demanding their governments to get tough with Pakistan over its support for the Taliban militia, 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.
ââ¬ÅIt is time for an ââ¬Ëeither you are with us or against usââ¬â¢ delivered bluntly to Musharraf at the highest political level,ââ¬Â an unnamed Nato commander told the newspaper. ââ¬ÅOur boys in southern Afghanistan are hurting because of what is coming out of (the Pakistani city of) Quetta,ââ¬Â the same commander added.
According to the newspaper, Natoââ¬â¢s report on ââ¬ÅOperation Medusaââ¬Â, the bloody campaign between September 4 and 17, clearly states that Pakistanââ¬â¢s intelligence service ISI was involved in supplying the Taliban. The report apparently estimates that the cost of Taliban ammunition stocks at around 2.6 million pounds ($4.9 million, 3.8 million euros). ââ¬ÅThe Taliban could not have done this on their own without the ISI,ââ¬Â 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. The transfer saw 10,000 US troops who had been operating in the east under the US-led coalition fall under the 37-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), boosting it to about 31,000 soldiers nationwide.
After the handover British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the Nato-led mission is ââ¬Åabsolutely criticalââ¬Â for world security. Blair told reporters in London that everybody was better off now in Afghanistan despite the renewed fighting. ââ¬âAFP
Reuters adds from Kabul: Pakistan has to do more to control its border with Afghanistan and stop Taliban insurgents organising in Pakistan where al-Qaeda leaders are also present, a US senator said on Friday.
Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told a news conference that Pakistan had made an ââ¬Åextraordinary contributionââ¬Â to the success of Operation Enduring Freedom (the US-led Afghan operation against the Taliban) ââ¬Åbut going forward, there has to be a much more aggressive effort to control the border and prevent any suggestion that Taliban elements can freely associate and organise themselves within Pakistanââ¬Â.
ââ¬ÅAlso, I donââ¬â¢t think we can lose sight of the fact there still appears to be al-Qaeda leadership elements in Pakistan and that, for us, is a continuing and constant effort to identify and pre-empt these elements,ââ¬Â said Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=3501
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.
ââ¬ÅIt is time for an ââ¬Ëeither you are with us or against usââ¬â¢ delivered bluntly to Musharraf at the highest political level,ââ¬Â an unnamed Nato commander told the newspaper. ââ¬ÅOur boys in southern Afghanistan are hurting because of what is coming out of (the Pakistani city of) Quetta,ââ¬Â the same commander added.
According to the newspaper, Natoââ¬â¢s report on ââ¬ÅOperation Medusaââ¬Â, the bloody campaign between September 4 and 17, clearly states that Pakistanââ¬â¢s intelligence service ISI was involved in supplying the Taliban. The report apparently estimates that the cost of Taliban ammunition stocks at around 2.6 million pounds ($4.9 million, 3.8 million euros). ââ¬ÅThe Taliban could not have done this on their own without the ISI,ââ¬Â 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. The transfer saw 10,000 US troops who had been operating in the east under the US-led coalition fall under the 37-nation International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), boosting it to about 31,000 soldiers nationwide.
After the handover British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the Nato-led mission is ââ¬Åabsolutely criticalââ¬Â for world security. Blair told reporters in London that everybody was better off now in Afghanistan despite the renewed fighting. ââ¬âAFP
Reuters adds from Kabul: Pakistan has to do more to control its border with Afghanistan and stop Taliban insurgents organising in Pakistan where al-Qaeda leaders are also present, a US senator said on Friday.
Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told a news conference that Pakistan had made an ââ¬Åextraordinary contributionââ¬Â to the success of Operation Enduring Freedom (the US-led Afghan operation against the Taliban) ââ¬Åbut going forward, there has to be a much more aggressive effort to control the border and prevent any suggestion that Taliban elements can freely associate and organise themselves within Pakistanââ¬Â.
ââ¬ÅAlso, I donââ¬â¢t think we can lose sight of the fact there still appears to be al-Qaeda leadership elements in Pakistan and that, for us, is a continuing and constant effort to identify and pre-empt these elements,ââ¬Â said Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=3501
