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Pentagon says Pakistan's campaign reduces cross-border movement

dr.umer

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23 Oct 2008

WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (APP): Pakistan’s campaign against al-Qaeada and the Taliban militants has been effective in terms of reducing movement of fighters across the Afghan border and the elected government recognizes that it has to deal with the threat for their country’s own good, the Pentagon said.

The Department of Defense Spokesman Geoff Morrell said Pakistan’s stepped up operations against militants in areas bordering Afghanistan is encouraging. “It is stepped up not just in terms of tempo, but in terms of effectiveness. And as a result, we have seen some improvement in the flow of foreign fighters across the—across the border into Afghanistan. So that is a welcome sign,” he told a Pentagon briefing, when asked to comment on Pakistan’s consistent anti-terror operations over the past three months.

Pakistan says it has eliminated hundreds of militants in operations in the tribal border region over the last two months. Officials say the militants based in Afghanistan are now entering the Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal area and fighting the security forces.

Islamabad has asked Afghanistan-based international forces to stop the flow of militants into Pakistan and pointed out that Afghan narco-money is fueling militancy in its areas.

The Pentagon spokesman in his remarks said the decline in number of fighters crossing the border into Afghanistan is based on US military assessments but was unable to give any figures.

Morrell said the Pakistani government clearly has the will to fight terrorism in the interests of their own country.

“What it’s also clearly a result of, though, is the will of the new government. I mean, they clearly, based upon the stepped-up action in the tribal areas, recognize that the threat there is not only targeted at us and our forces in Afghanistan and the government of Afghanistan but at their government as well, as is evidenced by, you know, sadly a—multiple suicide attacks, including the attack on the Marriott hotel where the prime minister and the president, I believe, were supposed to be—have been dining that evening.”

He noted “there’s a recognition on the part of the new Pakistani government that this is a threat that they have to deal with directly for their own good,” and not just for world security.
 
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No one should get surprised from this statement of Geoff Morrell. He surely has seen the mood of Pakistani Parliament. US has not left any stone unturned to "deteriorate" already volatile situation in FATA. If US had shown some encouragement before and stopped territorial violations across the border, things may would have been different now.
 
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