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Friday, October 19, 2012

Faithfulness doubt Pakistan, U.S. Threatens Attacks Increase

Together with the President of  
Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan
 President Hamid Karzai, Obama 
discuss developments Taliban forces  
they call serious threat to the 
United States.
KARACHI - Senior Pakistani officials in New York have revealed that the United States has sought to expand the range of attack drones (unmanned aircraft) to Quetta and other areas of Balochistan, Pakistan.

"It was not a threat in the sense that if you do not do anything, we who will take action on our own," a report in Britain's Sunday Times newspaper quoted an official.

It said the U.S. is threatening to launch air strikes on suspected Taliban leadership row in Quetta.

The threat comes amid growing divisions in Washington about whether to deal with the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan must be addressed by sending more troops or by reducing them.

This weekend the U.S. military is expected to send a request to Defense Secretary Robert Gates for more troops, as urged by General Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, menururt report.

With President Barack Obama is under pressure from fellow Democrats not to intensify the war, the government wants to let people know that they're rethinking Afghan strategy.

However, last week McChrystal denied any rift within the administration. He said "the debate on the policy was justified".

According to The New York Times, he flew from Kabul to Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday for a secret meeting with Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss the demand for more troops.

While Vice President Joe Biden has proposed to reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan and instead focusing on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Pakistan.

The Biden Camp found that the attacks by unmanned drones in Pakistan's tribal areas, where al-Qaeda leader was hiding, have been successful. Sending more troops to Afghanistan only increase tensions. "Pakistan is the nuclear elephant in the room," said a western diplomat.

Biden echoed the view that the opinion Richard Barrett, head of the Commission Observer Taliban and Al-Qaeda United Nations, who believed the presence of foreign troops has increased militant activity and it makes it easier for the Taliban to recruit new members.

"If Obama sends more troops, should be clarified in advance what they will do (there)," he said.

"A few thousand troops on the ground probably will not make much difference except to encourage them to fight in areas that are currently empty because no one has challenged the Taliban. I can not see any Taliban forces managed to slaughter. Obama really make a decision difficult. "

The Sunday Times report warned that an unmanned drone aircraft attacks in Quetta will increase anti-American sentiment in Pakistan. Some British officials claimed that these missions absurd.

The daily said that while the government of President Asif Ali Zardari has been determined to annihilate the Taliban, the country's military does not entirely share the same views.

To support the establishment of domestic President Zardari is the reason why President Obama attended a Friends of Pakistan summit in New York on Thursday. On the same day, the U.S. Senate to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to $ 1.5 billion per year.

The Obama administration hopes the move will reduce anti-American feelings. A survey last month by the Pew Research Centre found that nearly two-thirds of the U.S. as an enemy, may be evidence of the condition.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said: "The Americans have never told us any location. We need real-time intelligence 'to be able to take action."

However, there remains suspicion among U.S. officials that parts of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency was supporting the Taliban and protecting Mullah Omar and other leaders in Quetta.

Western intelligence officials said Pakistani Taliban leaders have moved to the city of Karachi, where it is impossible for the organized attack.

U.S. officials have even discussed to send commandos to Quetta to capture or kill Taliban leaders before they are moved, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper also revealed the suspicion that "there has been tacit cooperation over the use of drones. Few were even placed in Pakistan, although the government publicly criticized its use."


Source: Reuters


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