New Pakistan leaders, al-Qaida ready to talk?

[Neo]

New Pakistan leaders, al-Qaida ready to talk?​

Militant welcomes offer; U.S. hasn't liked strategy of reaching out​

These Taliban militants were among the hundreds who staged a public display Sunday in Inayat Kili, a Pakistani town along the border with Afghanistan. A militant leader addressing the crowd said he welcomed talks with Pakistan's new government.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A militant leader with alleged ties to al-Qaida welcomed an offer by Pakistan's new prime minister to negotiate with Islamic fighters accused of launching terrorist attacks from tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

Maulvi Faqir Mohammed also said Sunday his fighters were not "enemies" of Pakistan. "Our war is with America," he said.

Speaking in the Bajur tribal region, Mohammed told more than 4,000 supporters — hundreds of armed militants among them — that "we welcome the government's announcement of talks with the Taliban."

Mohammed added, though, that the government should not cooperate with the United States.

"Whenever Pakistan will work for American interests as its ally, we will have our opposition to that matter," Mohammed said amid chants of "death to America."

Pakistani authorities claim Mohammed has ties with al-Qaida No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri. His comments came a day after Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said in his inaugural speech that fighting terrorism was his government's top priority.

But in a rebuke to the strong-arm anti-terrorism policy of the U.S.-allied President Pervez Musharraf, Gilani also said his government was willing to talk to militants who are ready to lay down their arms and "join the path of peace."

Expanding education and development in the impoverished region would be a "key pillar" of the government's strategy against militants in the tribal zone, he said.

The United States has criticized past efforts to reach out to militants, saying it has allowed hard-liners to tighten their grip along the border.

Will Pakistan curb U.S. airstrikes?

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a pro-Taliban cleric and member of Gilani's coalition government, said the new administration will try to prevent the U.S. military from launching further airstrikes inside Pakistan.

"We will try our best to stop America from making any further attacks in our border areas," Rehman told reporters in the eastern city of Multan.

Many Pakistanis believe Musharraf's reliance on large-scale army operations, as well as his tacit approval of U.S. airstrikes inside Pakistan, have endangered civilians and produced a spike in domestic terrorism.

Also Sunday, a leader in Gilani's administration called for Musharraf to step down.

"The sooner he resigns the better it is for himself and for the democratic process," said Ahsan Iqbal, a lawmaker from the Pakistan Muslim League-N party who is tipped to become education minister in the new Cabinet.

"On Feb. 18 people have voted against his policies and have voted for change," Iqbal said.

Opposition parties swept last month's parliamentary elections amid resentment over Musharraf's increasingly authoritarian rule, Pakistan's mounting economic problems and a surge in militant attacks.

Parliament elected Gilani, a loyalist of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, as prime minister last week. On Monday, Musharraf was expected to swear in more than 20 members of the new Cabinet.

Al-Qaida, Pakistan ready to talk? - Pakistan - MSNBC.com

 

[Neo]

US jittery over Pakistan terror efforts: analysts​

ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan's new premier has vowed to tackle Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, but the United States will remain nervous about the commitment of this frontline state in the "war on terror", analysts say.

With the power of stalwart US ally President Pervez Musharraf eroding fast, Washington sent two special envoys to Islamabad last week in a bid to woo new Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his government.

Gilani, who is from the party of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, set out his policies to parliament on Saturday and said that rising Islamic militancy was the biggest threat to the nuclear-armed nation.

But his offers to negotiate with militants who renounce violence has caused jitters among US officials, who are already reeling from the loss of the "one-stop shop" they had in the form of former dictator Musharraf.

"The US nervousness will continue for some time till they recognise the political changes in Pakistan," political analyst Hasan Askari told AFP.

"The Americans will closely mointor what Pakistan is doing against terrorism -- they have strong reservations about negotiation," said Askari, who is teaching at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington.

A key issue with the new Pakistani government will be its tolerance for unilateral US missile strikes on militant hideouts in its mountainous tribal badlands bordering Afghanistan.

The Washington Post reported last week that the United States was escalating such strikes amid fears that Gilani's administration will curtail such attacks.

The strikes followed a "tacit understanding" with Musharraf and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani that permits US strikes on foreign rebels in Pakistan, but not against Pakistani Taliban, the Post quoted officials as saying.

A senior partner in the new coalition government, former premier Nawaz Sharif, warned the US envoys who came last week that it was unacceptable for Pakistan to become a "murder-house" for the sake of US policies.

"The US appears to be nervous on negotiations because it thinks they give unnecessary space to the extremists. Further, the US wanted greater freedom itself to undertake direct military action in the tribal areas," Askari said.

"However the recent visit of the US diplomats to Pakistan has made it clear that the US will have to talk to the political forces and the parliament for policy on terrorism rather than rely on one person -- Musharraf."

Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher spent four days in Pakistan last week.

Political solutions to the violence are high on Gilani's agenda, with his speech on Saturday promising a special package of reforms for the tribal areas as part of a broad-based strategy to fighting terrorism.

"We are ready to talk to all those people who give up arms and are ready to embrace peace," Gilani said to loud support from MPs on Saturday.

But officials from Bhutto's party said newspaper editorials describing anger at the timing of the US visit in the week that Gilani was elected by parliament were "overcooked".

Political commentator and columnist Shafqat Mahmood said the aims of both US and Pakistani officials remained the same -- to tackle extremism.

Gilani's speech "shows fighting terrorism is a very important priority for the new government and the United States should welcome this statement," Mahmood told AFP.

But he warned: "Of course, words will have to be matched with action."

Najam Sethi, editor of Pakistan's respected English-language Daily Times newspaper and a political analyst, said Gilani's statements would ultimately reassure Islamabad's Western allies.

"It will allay the concerns of the international community regarding the new government's commitment to fighting terrorism while giving enough leverage to the new political set-up to follow its broad-based counter-terrorism strategy," he told AFP.

US jittery over Pakistan terror efforts: analysts - Yahoo! News

 

[haviZsultan]

Good... but what about those Pakistanis who were killed by these bastards in the name of Islam? Countless soldiers and civilians have lost their lives because of their idiocy...

 

[Neo]

‘Give up pro-US stance first’: Taliban set terms for talks with govt​

* Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan vows to continue jihad against US
* Warns tribal elders against meeting American officials​

KHAR: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) said on Sunday that it was ready for talks with the government, provided that Islamabad reverses its pro-American policies.

TTP leaders told a rally in the Inayat Kalay Bazaar of Bajaur Agency that they welcomed Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani’s announcement that the government would negotiate with the Taliban and end the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR).

Yousaf Raza Gillani said on Saturday that fighting terrorism would be his top priority and offered to hold talks with those militants who laid down their weapons.

“We are ready to talk to all those people who give up arms and are ready to embrace peace,” Gillani told parliament, prompting loud support from lawmakers.

TTP leaders, including Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, Maulvi Sher Bahadar, Dr Muhammad Ismail, and party spokesman Maulvi Omar, also demanded the implementation of Sharia law and the jirga system according to tribal traditions.

Jihad against US: They said jihad against America would continue in Afghanistan. However, they added that they were ready to end their activities and improve law and order in Pakistan if the government showed flexibility.

Faqir said Islamabad should not cooperate with the United States, AP reported. “Whenever Pakistan will work for American interests as its ally, we will oppose it,” Faqir said, amid chants of “death to America”.

The TTP leaders said that the Taliban were defenders of the country and that Pakistan’s western border was safe because of them, according to a staff report.

They warned alleged kidnappers in the area that they would face consequences if they did not release all hostages within 24 hours.

The TTP meeting also passed resolutions calling for the removal of “unnecessary” checkposts in the area and the lifting of a ban on vehicles on which customs had not been paid.

Warnings: The TTP leaders said that they would not allow anyone to demand interest on loans; asked women to adopt the veil; and warned tribal elders not to meet American officials.

They reiterated that they were observing the ceasefire reached with the government, but said they would not surrender their weapons as long as America and its allies were present in Afghanistan. About 5,000 people, including hundreds of armed militants, attended the rally, according to AFP.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), said the new administration would try to prevent the US military from launching airstrikes inside Pakistan, AP reported.

“We will try our best to stop America from making any further attacks in our border areas,” Rehman told reporters in Multan.

A recent wave of violence in the country has been largely blamed on Al Qaeda-inspired militant groups operating from tribal areas such as Waziristan and Bajaur.

Two senior US officials - John Negroponte, the deputy secretary of State and Richard Boucher, the assistant secretary of State - visited Pakistan last week to discuss with the country’s new leaders how best to work together for a new approach. staff report/agencies

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\03\31\story_31-3-2008_pg1_1

 

[Myth_buster_1]

these peace talk with tali tali ban will do nothing but aggravate our bad image in western world! Already Pakistan is blamed for terrorist activity and today the CIA director quotes "pak afghan border is the biggest threat to WEST and the US have every single wright to strike them!"
i am against the concept that we are fighting for the Americans but i think it would be in our best interest to destroy taliban..

 

[mujahideen]

these peace talk with tali tali ban will do nothing but aggravate our bad image in western world! Already Pakistan is blamed for terrorist activity and today the CIA director quotes "pak afghan border is the biggest threat to WEST and the US have every single wright to strike them!"
i am against the concept that we are fighting for the Americans but i think it would be in our best interest to destroy taliban..

With all due respect I disagree. I think if talks are the solution, then we should use it. it is better then seeing our own people kill eachother. One thing I know about the tribals is that they are people of their word. The problem are the Afghan taliban. But at the same time if attacks continue we should fight them.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

this is the perfect time to go ahead with this. Because the world media has made the US look like "the bad guy" for supporting a "dictator", we have leverage in this war.

if the british can think about having peace agreements with the taliban in afghanistan, why can't we? let's hope these attacks on pakistani soil stop whether they are from suicide bombers or drones, insha'Allah.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

also keep in mind, pakistan is not iraq or afghanistan. our people are united against threats and even if they are not united, they will do so if there is a threat.

besides, the world has seen now that pakistan is a democracy and that the people of pakistan do not like this war. therefore, the people of pakistan have made this decision. May Allah save pakistan from danger.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

this is the perfect time to go ahead with this. Because the world media has made the US look like "the bad guy" for supporting a "dictator", we have leverage in this war.

if the british can think about having peace agreements with the taliban in afghanistan, why can't we? let's hope these attacks on pakistani soil stop whether they are from suicide bombers or drones, insha'Allah.

this is not the first time for peace talk.. in fact pakistan did make peace deal between some tribes in late 2006 but not until amerika bombed the peace tribe and the blaim was on pakistan.. and then the circle of bombing begins.
you think if we do go ahead with peace talk with taliban amerika is going to stay quite?

also keep in mind, pakistan is not iraq or afghanistan. our people are united against threats and even if they are not united, they will do so if there is a threat.

besides, the world has seen now that pakistan is a democracy and that the people of pakistan do not like this war. therefore, the people of pakistan have made this decision. May Allah save pakistan from danger.

the world wont give a dam even if we have democracy or not! america is committed to fight these taliban and it wont take long for america to turn pakistan into another battle field.. but for us the battle field will be different! this time the rest of the world with america gifts sanctions to us.. pakistan only have 4 weeks of reserve oil so how the hell are we gonna survive years? pakistan is not self sufficient yet like Iran.. i wish though...