US-Pakistan relations on the mend thanks to reward offer

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

Looks like a "blind date"!!! And, one party is desperate, and guess what??? It's not Pak.....

 

[Dalit]

Zero fvck s given who comes and goes in clownland. Trumpland is the laughing stock of the world.

 

[Eight Pass Charlie]

Mike pompeo replaces Tillerson as secretary of state

"Pakistan has a two edged approach to dealing with terrorism, on the one hand they don't like terrorist and terror attacks on there country, but at the same time they like to use terrorist as leverage"

No one on this planet has used a 'two edged approach' more than the Americans and the British. It has literally been the basis of there foreign policy since the 1950s

 

[Asian.Century]

Interesting but Pakistanis want an offer to buy F16 Blk 60/70s and Apache Helicopters plus new C130 planes and lots of new weapons...otherwise its a complete no no from Pakistan to US.

 

[Thorough Pro]

One fucking reward announcement doesn't washes away the insults being thrown at my nation by these bastard American politicians. Who is so fucking stupid and desperate to grab at these straws as life savers. let the relations go south. we would be a lot better.

RAHIMULLAH YUSUFZAI | Published — Monday 12 March 2018
US-Pakistan relations on the mend thanks to reward offer
Twitter: @rahimyusufzai1

The United States has started making a determined effort to address Pakistan’s long-standing grievances by offering reward money for information on three top Pakistani Taliban commanders currently based in Afghanistan.
Last week’s move could not only placate Islamabad, but also bring it under pressure to consider deeper cooperation with Washington and Kabul to restore peace and stability in Afghanistan. Both the US and Afghanistan have been asking Pakistan to use its influence over the Afghan Taliban leadership to persuade it to hold peace talks with the Afghan government or take action against those who insist on continuing the war. Until now, Pakistan’s consistent reply has been that it doesn’t have decisive influence on the Taliban leaders to make them change their policy of refusing direct talks with the Afghan government until there has been a complete withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s Feb. 28 invitation to the Taliban for peace talks and an offer to recognize the group as a legitimate political organization could contribute to the prospects of initiating an Afghan-owned peace process. Taken unaware by Ghani’s generous offer, the Taliban’s formal reply is still awaited.
Though the US has in the past carried out drone strikes in both Afghanistan and Pakistan to kill Pakistani Taliban members, its decision to go after the three top militants could help stop any further deterioration in the relations between Islamabad and Washington. It could also prompt the two to work with each other in the war against terrorism instead of at cross purposes.

America’s decision to go after three top Taliban militants could prompt Washington and Islamabad to work with each other in the war against terrorism instead of at cross purposes.

Rahimullah Yusufzai

The US State Department announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the capture of Mullah Fazlullah, the head of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the group that has spearheaded a violent campaign against Pakistan since December 2007 to punish it for joining the US-led war on terror. Under its previous heads, Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud, who were both killed in earlier US drone strikes, the TTP controlled large tracts of territory in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the Malakand division and Swat before suffering defeat at the hands of the Pakistani military in massive operations launched from 2009 to 2014. Fazlullah and his fighters escaped to neighboring Afghanistan in the summer of 2009 and are now reportedly based in Kunar and Nuristan provinces.

Rewards of $3 million each were also announced by the US for information on Abdul Wali, aka Omar Khalid Khorasani, leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter faction of the TTP, and Mangal Bagh, head of the smaller militant group Lashkar-i-Islam. Pakistan has alleged that the three fugitive militants have built safe havens in eastern Nangarhar province and are using Afghan soil to launch terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Fazlullah, Wali and Bagh are among the most-wanted men for Pakistan, which had already announced reward money for their capture and outlawed their groups. These organizations had claimed responsibility for some of the most horrendous terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Fazlullah’s TTP claimed the 2014 attack on an army-run school in Peshawar, in which 141 people, including 132 schoolchildren, were killed. It also claimed responsibility for the beheading of seven Pakistani soldiers in June 2012, the shooting of Malala Yousafzai in October 2012, and the failed bid by Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad to detonate an explosive device in Times Square, New York, in May 2010. Among other attacks, Wali’s JUA was accused of killing two Pakistani employees of the US Consulate in Peshawar in March 2016, and Bagh’s men of attacking NATO supply convoys.

The reward offers came two days after a US drone strike on a compound in Kunar killed 21 TTP militants, including Fazlullah’s son Abdullah and suicide bombing trainer Ustad Yaseen. In other recent US drone attacks in Afghanistan, TTP deputy leader Khan Said Sajna and top operative Khalifa Umar Mansoor, the mastermind of the Peshawar school massacre, were killed in Paktika and Nangarhar provinces, respectively.

Those killings and the recent US move to offer reward money for Fazlullah, Wali and Bagh should take care of some of Pakistan’s concerns, though Islamabad will also want the US to help curtail arch-rival India’s influence in Afghanistan. Pakistan will need to take steps to address US concerns, particularly its demand to go after the Haqqani network, which was designated as a terrorist organization by Washington in 2012 after being held responsible for major terrorist attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul. After a flurry of diplomatic visits and reassuring statements by Pakistan and the US that they wanted to continue efforts to improve relations, a thaw in the relationship is finally becoming visible despite President Donald Trump’s tough language against Islamabad last year.

— Rahimullah Yusufzai is a senior political and security analyst in Pakistan. He was the first to interview Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar and twice interviewed Osama Bin Laden in 1998. Twitter: @rahimyusufzai1

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1264511

 

[ziaulislam]

Bro, your assessment is misplaced.

Contrary to popular belief, Pakistan demonstrated half-hearted efforts to curb TTP prior to Operation Rah-e-Nijat (2009). Pakistani establishment offered terms of peace to TTP several times since its inception. Learn from here: https://ctc.usma.edu/reviewing-pakistans-peace-deals-with-the-taliban/

Why would they take action against an entity (i.e. TTP) when we were not coherent in our dealings with terrorists?

US have assassinated scores of TTP agents since 2009, starting with Baitullah Mehsud. The latter was the founding father of the movement and its most fearsome commander - TTP was no longer the same after loss of Baitullah. Conversely, US provided lot of equipment to Pakistani armed forces, trained them in the art of COIN and would reimburse the costs of operations against terrorists by Pakistani armed forces from time-to-time.

---

PAK - US relationship blossomed for a while (2002 - 2009); it turned sour in post-Musharraf times.

We need a holistic and neutral assessment of developments in the region since 2001 and why PAK - US relations have turned sour.

correct because for every military operation there is huge human cost..which obviously you are not aware, million were displaced(MILLIONS)
every country from nigeria to pakistan to india avoid such brute force, but as said by core commander the militants over played their card and forced pakistan to DO THE RIGHT THING

our relateion are sour for simple reason, US cannot accept failure on afghanistan (opium), the failure is due to two key allies, 1. elite afghans who want to mint money before they leave(there are no patritoic afghans as there has nt been a country in decades/whole generation to fight for) 2. india whose only purpose is to destroy pakistan

people call this paranoia but facts dictate otherwise, its is a fact that afghan neither accept Pakistan as country(durand line) nor does anything about TTP, ironic the guys says seal the boarder in above video when they wont allow us to do so!, it is also a fact that india attacked un provoked pakistan in 1971, in un disputed terroity when there was no reason for a war what so ever, in light of above two facts noone cannot call pakistan concerns as paranoia..so an allaince is simply unnatatural

unless USA dismiss india telling her hey you have nothing to do here and dismiss the afghan elite there will be no peace in afghanistan..this is the end conclusion of every neutral report/assessment

PS:
india will prosper from war and disputes between pakistan and afghnistan, its simple maths 2+2

the very reason sincere afghan leadership would want immediate resolutions of problems with pakistan, a start would be to accept pakistan first, they havent since 1947

 

[PAKjunoon]

Do you think that U.S needs presence in afghanistan forever to achieve regional benefits ?
believe me U.S does not need her presence forever. The best choice for U.S can be none of regional players but the taliban it self to acheive regional interest. I am talking about the taliban those are willing to join Afghan Govt. And those dont want to join they all will be killed in afghanistan and later in pakistan. But come what may Afghanistan's peace stability is must for whole region. Afghan Taliban must come to negociation table with Afghan Govt for Afghan prosperity.

You are under the false assumption that USA wants peace in the region.

USA came to this region to destabilize the region.They don't want peace in the region.

That's why all the terrorists group of the region have a safe and secure base in Afghanistan. Protected by RAW,NDS and CIA.

The only group they are targeting are the resistance fighter,Afghan Taliban.And any leader of Afghan Taliban that decides to talk with USA,immediately losses his position and power.The Afghan Taliban have a principle of not talking to USA until it's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Taliban Gov. was only the time when 90% of Afghan was united and peaceful.

So if America truly wants peace,then they should end the occupation of Afghanistan.

U.S sawab hisil krny k lia ye sab nhi kary ga Q k US ko Afghanistan mai Amaan k sath sath Asro rasokh bhi chahia. Or ye baat pakistan or Afghan taliban ko achy se samjh leni chahia warna nhi tuo Afghan taliban k sath sath pakistan aisy hi pista rahy ga. Pakistan k lia ye buhat hi behtareen opportunity hai k na sirf U.S sy balky Russia, china or afghanistan sy bhi apny taluqat behtar bana sakta hai..

Pakistan is Nuclear Country.And Pakistan Defender know how to defend the country against every attack.

It's US,that should listen to demands of Pakistan,if it wants to survive in the region.

 

[shahbaz baig]

You are under the false assumption that USA wants peace in the region.

USA came to this region to destabilize the region.They don't want peace in the region.

That's why all the terrorists group of the region have a safe and secure base in Afghanistan. Protected by RAW,NDS and CIA.

The only group they are targeting are the resistance fighter,Afghan Taliban.And any leader of Afghan Taliban that decides to talk with USA,immediately losses his position and power.The Afghan Taliban have a principle of not talking to USA until it's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Taliban Gov. was only the time when 90% of Afghan was united and peaceful.

So if America truly wants peace,then they should end the occupation of Afghanistan.




Pakistan is Nuclear Country.And Pakistan Defender know how to defend the country against every attack.

It's US,that should listen to demands of Pakistan,if it wants to survive in the region.

how can you be so sure?
Just look what's happening around.

Kim and trump meeting is expected in may or after the month of may, about North Korea denuclearization, Arab countries and israeli officials meetings at white house today, Russian military threatens action against the US in Syria today. Pakistan has to face FATF by June, Pakistan has to pay $10 billions to IMF by 10th june, Mattis met with Ashraf Ghani today about taliban. Not U.S but india spreading the news about USA's tough action against pakistan. American stand against TTP. etc etc

Now tell me all this is hepping so whats the indiction for pakistan ?

Either Taliban join the Afghan Govt or not but Pakistan should show the sincere effort, and mean while keep an eye on india if india try to sabotage by some proxy to further strenghten pakistan's case, i know pakistan already lost a control on Taliban but come what may pakistan has to do the efforts for Afghan peace infront of U.S. and i beleive pak army and agency can do the best effort. Lets not talk about the result becuase we dont know either taliban would join afghan govt or not but efforts should be visible to fight our case internationally.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

Before criticizing our favorite villain, US, question should be asked from our leaders both militarily and civilians, why was Fazullah and his comrades were allowed to escape to Afghanistan at first place ? APS and perhaps BB's murder would had never occurred if we would had taken the TTP threat seriously. Media (Ansar Abbasi types) and political leaders like Imran Khan were instrumental in creating perceptions about these militants as "bhutkhey huay musalman". Also rtd Gen. Kiyani never completed his job where after Swat success, North Waziristan operation was never started until Raheel took charge.

 

[Ocean]

Do you think that U.S needs presence in afghanistan forever to achieve regional benefits ?
believe me U.S does not need her presence forever. The best choice for U.S can be none of regional players but the taliban it self to acheive regional interest. I am talking about the taliban those are willing to join Afghan Govt. And those dont want to join they all will be killed in afghanistan and later in pakistan. But come what may Afghanistan's peace stability is must for whole region. Afghan Taliban must come to negociation table with Afghan Govt for Afghan prosperity.

U.S sawab hisil krny k lia ye sab nhi kary ga Q k US ko Afghanistan mai Amaan k sath sath Asro rasokh bhi chahia. Or ye baat pakistan or Afghan taliban ko achy se samjh leni chahia warna nhi tuo Afghan taliban k sath sath pakistan aisy hi pista rahy ga. Pakistan k lia ye buhat hi behtareen opportunity hai k na sirf U.S sy balky Russia, china or afghanistan sy bhi apny taluqat behtar bana sakta hai..

Ur post makes no sense what pak has got to do wid afghan talibs and usa and how afghan talibs negotiating with usa will help pak improve ties with russia,china and pluto.

Atleast do write logical explanations.

As of negotiations between afghan talibs and usa then many times these had been planned and talibs agreed but those talks were always averted by usa by killings talib convoys, family members.

But then again ur post makes no sense abt pak russia and china relations we already have good ties with them.

What the yanks were doing when TTP was on rampage killing scores of Pakistani citizens? Now they have been more or less neutralised by Pakistan armed forces and their utility has become next to nothing. They want to get brownie points by smashing the near death snake they nurtured and fed.

Pakistani establishment would be fool if it fall for this. Pakistan needs to get the TTP leaders alive so they can be interrogated and whole chain of command be established.

Im highly skeptical that usa despite its vast and advanced intel network n tech isnt already aware of fazlullahs whereabouts.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

We love to criticize others but hardly analyze our short comings at first place. Why will US care about Pakistani interest, they will always think what suits them and their allies best. For now, they do not consider us their allies just like we don't consider them. That Fazullah should had been nabbed here in Pakistan by our security forces and by the year 2008. You easily provided him as their proxy against Pakistanis.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

Im highly skeptical that usa despite its vast and advanced intel network n tech isnt already aware of fazlullahs whereabouts.

They brought RAW into Afghan scene, they are the ones who created NDS. They are the ones who are pulling the strings from behind the scene. Of course they know.

It could have been such a great opportunity for Pakistan to conduct unilateral operation in Afghansitan, to kill this scumbag and then create all the noise on the same level as American did over Osama and put America into tight corner. TTP and all anti-Pakistan groups using Afghan soil which is under American occupation, is completely unacceptable. The buck stop at America.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

It could have been such a great opportunity for Pakistan to conduct unilateral operation in Afghansitan, to kill this scumbag

We lost the great opportunity when that @$$hole was hiding in some cave in Pakistan - a decade back.

 

[PAKjunoon]

Contrary to popular belief, Pakistan demonstrated half-hearted efforts to curb TTP prior to Operation Rah-e-Nijat (2009). Pakistani establishment offered terms of peace to TTP several times since its inception. Learn from here: https://ctc.usma.edu/reviewing-pakistans-peace-deals-with-the-taliban/

Why would they take action against an entity (i.e. TTP) when we were not coherent in our dealings with terrorists?

No Pakistan never demonstrated half-hearted efforts before Operation Rah-e-Nijat. Rather their efforts were not so successful.There is difference between the two.

The reason for failure were:

• At the time the people of Pakistan were under the perception that Pak Army is fighting America's war.So there was no public support for operation.
• This false perception was created by Disinfo Agents in Pakistani Media,Academia and NGO's.
• Many people assumed that TTP and Afghan Taliban were the same.So,no one supported the operations.
• The people of swat and tribal areas were under the false assumption that the TTP was going to implement true Islamic Laws.So,that's why people supported them.
• Judiciary was creating so much problem for the Pak Army,especiallly Ifthikaar Chaudhary.
• The Media was waging an active propaganda war against Pak Army and Pakistan Ideology,the basis of creation of Pakistan.At that time there was no shows or programmes being done on 14th August and 23rd March or on Pakistan Army. And Valentine day was celebrated for a whole month.
• Not a single journalist,writer or Anchor person wrote anything positive about Pak Army.Everything was negative,severely demoralizing the Pak Army.Every guest on show was critical of the Pak Army and its operations.
• Every media person told the same lies over and over aginn. Like on Balouchistan missing persons case and deaths.They blamed Army for it even when the evidence showed most of the missing person were abducted and killed by BLA and BLF,because of their support to Pakistan.And few missing person were actually terrorists,residing in farrari camps.
• Only one men Defended Pakistan Army and Paksiatn's Ideology and that was Zaid Hamid in the whole media of Pakistan at that time.And doing it till now.

For the last 3-4 years the Media has started positive shows on Pakistan.Why?Because they were forced.How?Because the support people showed to Pak army on social media.The media was forced to change its attitude towards the Pak Army,to keep high their TRPs.Just 3-4 years back there was limited usage of social media in Pakistan.That the only positive result of social Media usage in Pakistan.

US have assassinated scores of TTP agents since 2009, starting with Baitullah Mehsud. The latter was the founding father of the movement and its most fearsome commander - TTP was no longer the same after loss of Baitullah. Conversely, US provided lot of equipment to Pakistani armed forces, trained them in the art of COIN and would reimburse the costs of operations against terrorists by Pakistani armed forces from time-to-time.

US have only assassinated them when they were ready to surrender and change sides.Just before his death,there were rumors that Baitullah is ready to give up arms.Within a week he was killed in drone strikes.Before that,many times Pak Intelligence gave his cordinates to USA,but they never took any action against him.

Other Leader who were ready to give up arms were killed just before officialy declaring surrender.Thus prolonging the war.

And during SWAT operation t was rumored that Mulaah Radio escaped to afghanistan on a helicopter.Who's Helicopter was that?Why did not American took him outwhen he settled in Afghanistan.

Every time there was operation on Pakistani sides,the USA on the other side in bordering provinces reduced there presence at the exact time,giving full opportunity to TTP to move forth and back between Pakistan-Afghanistan and attack Pakistan and retreat safely to Afghanistan.


No Pak Army developed it's own COIN strategy,tactics and training,which has been successful as compared to American COIN startegy,which is utter failure.

Pak Army paid for all of the hardware. And they never reimbursed cost for Pak Army operations.They reimbursed only the cost of using our infrastructure,even that at less then commercial rates.

 

[Taimoor Khan]

We lost the great opportunity when that @$$hole was hiding in some cave in Pakistan - a decade back.

Actually its good he is in Afghansitan. Great opportunity to rub it on America face by killing him right under their nose , and embarrass them. They wont be able to talk about OBL afterwards. It should have been done right after APS attack.