These are the words of Hillary Clinton: 'we have to squeeze the Haqqanis'. Looking at the situation carefully, there is a lot more than what meets the eye. There is a myriad of groups that have their grievances against Pakistan & the US in Afghanistan. While the Haqqanis threaten the Afghan regime, there are many groups that threaten Pakistan as well. The Hakeemullah faction of the TTP is threatening to increase attacks in Pakistan, & the TSNM is attempting to recapture Swat & Malakand regions which it lost out to the Pakistan Army. Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan, who wasn't hostile to Pakistan, has warned that he is losing patience with the Pakistan Army/administration. Hekmetyar, who was supposed to be the "ISI's darling", gave an indicting statement on Pakistan as well, saying it is alienating the Afghan people. As the US is intensifying its operations in eastern Afghanistan, terrorists are infiltrating into Pakistan, & killing innocent Pakistani civilians as well as military personnel & intelligence officers.
The numerous attacks in Khyber Agency over the last couple of days as a result of the Pakistan Army's operations there are inflicting heavy damage to the Pakistan Army & civilians (November 13-15). There was infiltration from Afghanistan to Mohmand, with 3 militants getting killed & 4 getting injured today (November 15). There were also 16 militants killed in Orakzai Agency today (November 15), & there were 8 terrorists arrests in Kohat, adjacent to Orakzai Agency as well (November 13).
The Pakistan Army is involved in a full scale operation in the FATA, as well as regions of the KPK bordering Afghanistan. As recent events have shown, whenever the Pakistan Army has conducted an operation in the FATA, even when it has killed militants, there is a certain spillover in the adjacent KPK areas (Bannu, Peshawar, Kohat, Nowshera etc), where the militants flee ('slip through the cracks'), & kill/injure innocent civilians. So as the Pakistan Army engages 'deeper & deeper' into the FATA, we can expect some spill over into the adjoining/adjacent KPK areas from the militants.
What exact course of action was decided when Hillary Clinton came to Islamabad is anyone's guess. As long as the porous border is not solved, I am not sure if this menace of terrorism affecting NW Pakistan & Afghanistan can be stemmed effectively. Pakistan & the US/Afghanistan are fighting the terrorists. The terrorists are on one side, Pakistan/US/Afghanistan are on the other. Then there are people who are 'on the fence', who are not driven by religion, but by their grievances against Pakistan/Afghanistan; & Pakistan/Afghanistan must make it does not exacerbate this situation that it becomes a secessionist movement (which would become a much more dangerous problem). A lot of people that get inclined to Jihadi ideology are initially driven by anti-American/anti-Pakistani/anti-Afghan sentiments, & it must be made sure that extremists do not become terrorists. People need to be brought into confidence, so that these people 'sitting on the fence' never fall on the terrorists' side. And finally, there has to be much better AfPak border patrolling, so that there is no infiltration from Afghanistan to Pakistan (or vice versa).
An interesting development showed in the Long War Journal was the attack in North Waziristan resulted in the death of 6 militants, all Punjabi Jihadis. In the past, the Pakistan Forces has not all out gone after them (only sporadically), but with the recent events of the Multan bombing, as well as the Jhelum operation, it seems like the Pakistan Forces is ready to confront them as well. The Punjabi Jihadi groups had always had limited overt activities in Punjab, but had actively helped the terrorists in the FATA, Balochistan. Recent reports, such as the 150 terror suspects arrested in Raiwand, Punjab (November 13) might indicate the Pakistan Forces will be taking strong action. The Punjabi Jihadis are also active in J&K, & the recent talks between India & Pakistan indicate that Pakistan might be clamping on them.
The numerous attacks in Khyber Agency over the last couple of days as a result of the Pakistan Army's operations there are inflicting heavy damage to the Pakistan Army & civilians (November 13-15). There was infiltration from Afghanistan to Mohmand, with 3 militants getting killed & 4 getting injured today (November 15). There were also 16 militants killed in Orakzai Agency today (November 15), & there were 8 terrorists arrests in Kohat, adjacent to Orakzai Agency as well (November 13).
The Pakistan Army is involved in a full scale operation in the FATA, as well as regions of the KPK bordering Afghanistan. As recent events have shown, whenever the Pakistan Army has conducted an operation in the FATA, even when it has killed militants, there is a certain spillover in the adjacent KPK areas (Bannu, Peshawar, Kohat, Nowshera etc), where the militants flee ('slip through the cracks'), & kill/injure innocent civilians. So as the Pakistan Army engages 'deeper & deeper' into the FATA, we can expect some spill over into the adjoining/adjacent KPK areas from the militants.
What exact course of action was decided when Hillary Clinton came to Islamabad is anyone's guess. As long as the porous border is not solved, I am not sure if this menace of terrorism affecting NW Pakistan & Afghanistan can be stemmed effectively. Pakistan & the US/Afghanistan are fighting the terrorists. The terrorists are on one side, Pakistan/US/Afghanistan are on the other. Then there are people who are 'on the fence', who are not driven by religion, but by their grievances against Pakistan/Afghanistan; & Pakistan/Afghanistan must make it does not exacerbate this situation that it becomes a secessionist movement (which would become a much more dangerous problem). A lot of people that get inclined to Jihadi ideology are initially driven by anti-American/anti-Pakistani/anti-Afghan sentiments, & it must be made sure that extremists do not become terrorists. People need to be brought into confidence, so that these people 'sitting on the fence' never fall on the terrorists' side. And finally, there has to be much better AfPak border patrolling, so that there is no infiltration from Afghanistan to Pakistan (or vice versa).
An interesting development showed in the Long War Journal was the attack in North Waziristan resulted in the death of 6 militants, all Punjabi Jihadis. In the past, the Pakistan Forces has not all out gone after them (only sporadically), but with the recent events of the Multan bombing, as well as the Jhelum operation, it seems like the Pakistan Forces is ready to confront them as well. The Punjabi Jihadi groups had always had limited overt activities in Punjab, but had actively helped the terrorists in the FATA, Balochistan. Recent reports, such as the 150 terror suspects arrested in Raiwand, Punjab (November 13) might indicate the Pakistan Forces will be taking strong action. The Punjabi Jihadis are also active in J&K, & the recent talks between India & Pakistan indicate that Pakistan might be clamping on them.
