US Commander Gen. John Nicholson says US knows the Afghan Taliban leadership isin the Quetta and Pes

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

well he is right
his colleagues have assassinated two Afghan taliban leaders inside Pakistan who came for peace talks
they killed Nasiruddin Haqqani near Islamabad and Mullah Masoor who was coming to Pakistan via Iran.
they will use Pakistan to facilitate the talks with Afghan Taliban and then assassinate them to score points not only on Pakistan and also settle their scores against Taliban too and they will have ready made reason to bitch about Pakistan when the Taliban retaliate with their attacks on the Americans inside Afghanistan

so cycle of violence continues and Pakistan stands blamed since Americans have no interest in peace


now taliban have no reason to stay inside Pakistan and get assassinated or attacked via drones since 40% of Afghanistan is under their control and the thugs ruling Kabul have no writ outside the city.

they can easily hide in the large swathes of the Afghan country

Looks like the US commanders are now unhappy that they have moved to what they finally can call home!!! Keep your friends close, but enemies closer with a fixed strees address!!!!!

 

[Thorough Pro]

We will attack the country where attackers come from

No more carrots I see. He goes on to say that steps are taken to address those.

Here is a bigger question though

IF Pak refuses to change course, are we gonna see commando style operations and actual air strikes in Pak?
Will Pak shoot down or target americans in Pak, if yes then what are the repercussions ?
We saw how it worked for Turkey in the Russian episode. Big big questions for Pak policy makers...

 

[wiseone2]

Chinese don't have to fight, ever heard of "Credible Threat of Force" concept? US used it now China can do it too, Dokhlam is no 200B$ worthy and not more Strategic then CPEC, Pakistan is new energy lifeline for China.

CPEC or no CPEC China will get the energy.

With or without Chinese help what makes you think Pakistan can break a US naval blockade ? The US Navy does not need aircraft carriers. They can use their attack submarines to run circles around oil tankers

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Here is a bigger question though

Okay let's go through some points raised here. Gen.Nicholson clearly states 10% of Afghanistan is still under Taliban control. Please tell me -

(1) if you still have not 100% cleaned your own house why are you pointing fingers next door? You might have a case after having disinfected Afghanistan but you have not failed to do that but are concerned about the infection across the border?

(2) If indeed you have disinfected all your country but only the border districts adjacent to Pakistan remain infected you might be able to make a case that the breeding grounds in Quetta and Peshawar need draining as the infection keeps seeping in across the porous border. Okay lets test this contention out. Look at the map below showing Taliban controlled districts. I have marked [selection] three out in red circles.

(i) Jowzjan - 300 miles from Durand Line, Pakistan [marked green].
(ii) Kunduz - 200 miles from Durand Line, Pakistan [marked green]
(iii) Ghor-Sari Pul - 200 miles from Durand Line, Pakistan [marked green]

3. Could somebody please explain to me how do Taliban have a district in Jowzjan in control on the Uzbek border. That is right across on the opposite side of Afghanistan. Is Pakistan using Afghan Ariana Airlines or maybe Ganga India Airline flights to supply, service and provide logistical support? Seriousl;y can anybody [including Indian members] explain this enigma? Do note that these districts are distal from Pakistan with the huge mountain ranges in central Afghanistan almost cutting off Northern Afghanistan from the south. For example to go from Kabul to Kunduz you have to go through the Hindu Kush mountains and traverse through the Salang Tunnel.

3. How the hell does Pakistan service the Taliban in Kunduz. When we have 200 miles of Afghanistan, mountains, one tunnel with all roads controlled by US Army or Afghan forces? How is it even possible for Taliban to launch a attack on Kunduz, take it over for two weeks before they were pushed out. Are we expected that Islamabad was managing this effort. If this is indeed true that it speaks genius of ISI and the gross stupidity of US, Afghan and NATO forces.

5. My contention is if Pakistan was responsible for Taliban insurgency then there would be a strong correlation between Talib controlled districts and the Durand Line. There is a very weak correlation between Durand and Talib controlled districts. The strongest predictor is the ethnic Pashtun areas thus alluding to a endogenous insurgency with nominal external influence.

6. Finally why has Afghan Army/US Army not neutalized the Talibs that are distal from Pakistan in those three circles marked on the map. Why have they not managed to squeeze them and squash them since they are far away from Pakistan?

Frankly to me this is looking more and more like USA and the Afghans finding Pakistan as scapegoat. And I have tried to be objective about this but I request other senior members to address the points I rasied - Indian, Afghan, Chinese etc

@Chinese-Dragon @AUSTERLITZ @Sher Shah Awan @Mian Babban @Others

 

[!eon]

I am not the police chief of those cities
It cannot be that hard

Barking in air doesn't bring anything

With or without Chinese help what makes you think Pakistan can break a US naval blockade ? The US Navy does not need aircraft carriers. They can use their attack submarines to run circles around oil tankers

Hey cheerleader, have the Americans arrived for blockade ?

 

[MultaniGuy]

Where is the proof that the Afghan Taliban leaders are in Peshawar and in Quetta?

 

[Aasimkhan]

No more carrots I see. He goes on to say that steps are taken to address those.

Here is a bigger question though

IF Pak refuses to change course, are we gonna see commando style operations and actual air strikes in Pak?
Will Pak shoot down or target americans in Pak, if yes then what are the repercussions ?
We saw how it worked for Turkey in the Russian episode. Big big questions for Pak policy makers...

These are same ungrateful afghans who are eating bread from our hands and polluting our sacred country since last 40 years?

The US is laying down its cards



Did you see China "Fighting " for Senkaku Islands ; Taiwan or Doklam

Did you see US attacking North Korea ? or Iran ? USA will not dare to attack us, they know we can vaporise entire India and Israel before we go down. Attacking nuclear states is not a kids play.

 

[Alpha BeeTee]

No more carrots I see. He goes on to say that steps are taken to address those.

Here is a bigger question though

IF Pak refuses to change course, are we gonna see commando style operations and actual air strikes in Pak?
Will Pak shoot down or target americans in Pak, if yes then what are the repercussions ?
We saw how it worked for Turkey in the Russian episode. Big big questions for Pak policy makers...

This bigger question is just in your mind's wishlist.
You completely fail to see through the current US rhetoric and bluster that Pakistan's dependency on the US has decreased dramatically while it is the US which still needs the same logictic and other support from Pakistan as it needed years ago.
US can not risk triggering and antogonizing Pakistan by conducting an ObL style operation anymore.This would definitely push Pakistan to exercise its influence on the Taliguys against you and we all dont want this to happen.
Insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting new results.
I'm shocked at how poor judgmenet Afghans can have regarding their situation.What 100,000 troops couldn't do,you expect 4000 of them to do that ?
You sure can push back Taliban and attain temporary peace but deep inside you know as well that lasting peace is not on the horizon with current policy.
Any amount of Pakistan bashing and revenge wont guarentee peace for you.Never.Forget it.

 

[Aasimkhan]

Okay let's go through some points raised here. Gen.Nicholson clearly states 10% of Afghanistan is still under Taliban control. Please tell me -

(1) if you still have not 100% cleaned your own house why are you pointing fingers next door? You might have a case after having disinfected Afghanistan but you have not failed to do that but are concerned about the infection across the border?

(2) If indeed you have disinfected all your country but only the border districts adjacent to Pakistan remain infected you might be able to make a case that the breeding grounds in Quetta and Peshawar need draining as the infection keeps seeping in across the porous border. Okay lets test this contention out. Look at the map below showing Taliban controlled districts. I have marked [selection] three out in red circles.

(i) Jowzjan - 300 miles from Durand Line, Pakistan [marked green].
(ii) Kunduz - 200 miles from Durand Line, Pakistan [marked green]
(iii) Ghor-Sari Pul - 200 miles from Durand Line, Pakistan [marked green]

3. Could somebody please explain to me how do Taliban have a district in Jowzjan in control on the Uzbek border. That is right across on the opposite side of Afghanistan. Is Pakistan using Afghan Ariana Airlines or maybe Ganga India Airline flights to supply, service and provide logistical support? Seriousl;y can anybody [including Indian members] explain this enigma? Do note that these districts are distal from Pakistan with the huge mountain ranges in central Afghanistan almost cutting off Northern Afghanistan from the south. For example to go from Kabul to Kunduz you have to go through the Hindu Kush mountains and traverse through the Salang Tunnel.

3. How the hell does Pakistan service the Taliban in Kunduz. When we have 200 miles of Afghanistan, mountains, one tunnel with all roads controlled by US Army or Afghan forces? How is it even possible for Taliban to launch a attack on Kunduz, take it over for two weeks before they were pushed out. Are we expected that Islamabad was managing this effort. If this is indeed true that it speaks genius of ISI and the gross stupidity of US, Afghan and NATO forces.

5. My contention is if Pakistan was responsible for Taliban insurgency then there would be a strong correlation between Talib controlled districts and the Durand Line. There is a very weak correlation between Durand and Talib controlled districts. The strongest predictor is the ethnic Pashtun areas thus alluding to a endogenous insurgency with nominal external influence.

6. Finally why has Afghan Army/US Army not neutalized the Talibs that are distal from Pakistan in those three circles marked on the map. Why have they not managed to squeeze them and squash them since they are far away from Pakistan?

Frankly to me this is looking more and more like USA and the Afghans finding Pakistan as scapegoat. And I have tried to be objective about this but I request other senior members to address the points I rasied - Indian, Afghan, Chinese etc

@Chinese-Dragon @AUSTERLITZ @Sher Shah Awan @Mian Babban @Others

Why dont you Pakistani's understand? Gen Hameed Gul had clearly warned you 10 years ago that USA is not here for Afghanistan, they are here to sort out Pakistan once and for good. All this Afghanistan, Alqaida and Usama Bin Laden was a drama

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Why dont you Pakistani's understand? Gen Hameed Gul had clearly warned you 10 years ago that USA is not here for Afghanistan, they are here to sort out Pakistan once and for good. All this Afghanistan, Alqaida and Usama Bin Laden was a drama

Pardon me but I am not going take seriously the words of a guy who was America's No.1 lap dog for a decade and served US interests better than a addicted hooker serves her customers.

 

[KRAIT]

Pakistan's bluff is called upon.

 

[Aasimkhan]

Pardon me but I am not going take seriously the words of a guy who was America's No.1 lap dog for a decade and served US interests better than a addicted hooker serves her customers.

He didnt fight for America, Afghan war was Pakistan's war. He was brave general and a patriotic Pakistani. I knew him personally. Yes for the time being Pakistan's and USs' interests coincided but it doesn't mean he was serving American interests. If you cant see the difference between an addicted hooker and brave son of the soil then get your eyes treated.

 

[wiseone2]

Pardon me but I am not going take seriously the words of a guy who was America's No.1 lap dog for a decade and served US interests better than a addicted hooker serves her customers.

Just because Pakistani generals did America's bidding in the 1980s it does not mean they were in sync during the 1990s

 

[Champs Trophy 2017]

High time for ICBM after Khwaja Asif returns from China & Russia. It will be the last nail in the late Super Power's coffin..

 

[Indus Pakistan]

He didnt fight for America, Afghan war was Pakistan's war. He was brave general and a patriotic Pakistani. I knew him personally. Yes for the time being Pakistan's and USs' interests coincided but it doesn't mean he was serving American interests. If you cant see the difference between an addicted hooker and brave son of the soil then get your eyes treated.

I also knew him personally. We used to be school chums but let us leave that shall we? More to the point why not look at something called strategy?

So what was Pakistan's war in 1980s. Two superpowers. Soviets and US. Both sort of balance each other out in a bi-polar equation. Hey how about helping America out by ensuring it can become the sole super-power. Then when it is the only big boy it can go around like a bully without any restraint and invade every Muslim country on a list. Including Afghanistan to remove a plaint government with a Indian loving government in Kabul. And now have America threatening us.

That is called clever strategy. That is called Pakistans war. That was Hamid Guls greatest calling. Making America Number one.

Bravo.