Pakistan has shifted forces from Indian border: US general

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Pakistan has shifted forces from Indian border: US general- Hindustan Times

Pakistan has shifted forces from Indian border: US general

Pakistan has shifted forces from the Indian border to the west as it now sees very clearly the existential threat posed to their country by the extremists, said a top US general.
"In Pakistan, there is no question I think at this point that the Pakistanis see very clearly the existential threat that is posed to their country by the extremists," General David Petraeus, Commander of the United States Central Command, said on Friday.

Taking note of the problems caused in particular by the Pakistani Taliban in the northwest frontier province, the Pakistani military has responded very strongly in Swat, Lower Dir, Buner and some other districts of the northwest frontier province, he said.

There have also been operations in the federally administered tribal areas, in Bajaur and Mohmand, Petraeus said in a speech to the Centre of a New American Security.

"There have been shifts, as they have announced, of forces from India to the west and in some cases, those are very important shifts that have taken place."

"And the reason I mention this is because it reflects their assessment of this threat and everyone has always said, gosh, don't they see that this is a threat to their very existence?" the general said.

"The answer is 'yes.' And they are showing that by the deployments and employment of their forces, the actions they're taking."

Petraeus, however, warned that military missions against terrorist groups are comprehensive and require more than force, saying "Countering terrorism requires more than counter-terrorist operations."

The General went on to discuss the implications of shifting military attention from Iraq to Afghanistan and Pakistan and how the US' experience in Iraq should optimise the efficiency of military operations in other countries.

"As we turn and shift our focus to Afghanistan and Pakistan it is very important to reflect on what we learned from Iraq and to remember that you have to apply what was learned there with a very nuanced understanding...of local circumstances," said Petraeus.

"The overriding mission of a military force in counterinsurgency has to be to secure the people and...be seen as securing and serving them. This is hugely important," he said.

Petraeus explained that once security has been established throughout the country, the US would not be able to leave Afghanistan.
 

F-14

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Pakistan's leaders get it at last - Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA

Pakistan finally seems to have gotten the message -- the Taliban and al-Qaida are bad news and not to be trusted.

"Bad news" not only for infidels, but bad news for Muslims and any who do not subscribe to their demented and perverse theocratic extremism.

The Pakistani Taliban may not be mirror images of the Afghan Taliban, but they are like-minded and dangerous and determined.

By boldly threatening the very existence of the Pakistani government, the Taliban may have miscalculated. President Asif Asardi and the army finally seem to agree that their most lethal enemy may not be India, but the Islamic extremism of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

The Pakistani army seems to be in the mopping up stages in the Swat Valley, hitherto controlled by the Taliban. The "war" is now moving to neighbouring regions, and southwest of Peshawar -- another enclave.

Half-hearted Pakistani efforts to control the Taliban in the past are more genuine this time, as terror tactics threaten to oust the government itself. A suicide attack on a luxury hotel in Peshawar a few days ago killed nine, outraging local people against the Taliban. Tolerance for religious extremism is eroding.

Pakistan has always had a pretty competent army that periodically feels compelled to rescue the country from corruption. In 62 years of independence, the military has periodically staged coups against corrupt civilian rule.

Whenever the military turns the country over to civil rule, inevitably corruption surges -- necessitating another military coup. The cycle starts again. Since 1947, Pakistan has alternated between civilian and military rule.

Pakistan's army understands the best way to defeat the Taliban is to kill them. That's what they've been doing in the Swat Valley. It's been tough, resulting in 1.5 million displaced people. As they retreat, the Taliban have blown up girls' schools and sent suicide bombers into Pakistani cities.

Pakistan has asked Canada (and others) for help, and to lift the 11-year-ban on materiel, and to renew officer training at the staff college level -- suspended when Pakistan test-fired nuclear devices in 1998.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay has voiced conditional approval, and one hopes this becomes reality. The Pakistani army doesn't need Canadian guns and bullets, but it does need military technology. OK, let them have it.

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Their military is much like ours -- with a British tradition. Their officers look British and are often Sandhurst-trained. Their reputation is solid -- similar to India's army.

After all, they both had the same teachers. Any officer exchange program with Pakistan

(and India) is advantageous to Canada. Since Pakistan seems anxious to eliminate the Taliban, we should help where we can. Our soldiers have been fighting the Taliban since 2002, and now have an ally in the Pakistani military.

A quality of the Canadian army is that its regimental system and training saved our army from the ravages of Pierre Trudeau when he was prime minister and bent on reducing it to something resembling a military tattoo.

Pakistan seems so intent on crushing the Taliban that it has withdrawn troops from the Indian border, realizing that the Taliban pose a greater threat. It's almost inconceivable that India would attack Pakistan.

Canada's role in Afghanistan was frustrating when Pakistan was a sanctuary for the Taliban. That may now be ending, and may even tip the scales to defeat the Taliban.

As for suicide bombers that now plague Pakistan, one encouraging thing is that each suicide bomber can only be used once. Better that Pakistani soldiers kill them before they suit up, than have them kill themselves while blowing up others.

All this is a positive for our side. Let's make the most of it.

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this may all be for show since us passed bill tripling their aid yesterday.
 

F-14

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AFP: Pakistan vows to fight Taliban 'until the end'

ISLAMABAD (AFP) — President Asif Ali Zardari said on Saturday that Pakistan was battling for its "sovereignty" a day after scores of people were killed amid an escalating offensive against the Taliban.

Zardari said Pakistan would fight "until the end," as US defence officials in Washington confirmed that Islamabad was stepping up its offensive against militants in the country's troubled northwest.

"We are fighting a war for our sovereignty," Zardari said in a television address. "We will continue this war until the end, and we will win it at any cost.

"The Taliban are the enemies of innocent people. They want to terrorise the people and to take control of the country's institutions."

Zardari's pledge came after suicide bombings targeting Friday prayers at two mosques killed at least six people, including a prominent Muslim cleric, and wounded more than 100.

The bombings confirmed fears that Taliban militants would avenge an offensive against them in the northwest, where the military said 39 insurgents and 10 soldiers had been killed in fresh fighting.

Religious scholar Sarfraz Naeemi, who had spoken out against Taliban suicide bombings, was among two people killed in one of the mosque attacks, in the eastern city of Lahore, police said.

Lahore police chief Pervez Rathore said a suicide bomber had entered the room where Naeemi was sitting with others after Friday prayers, and blew himself up.

Naeemi had issued a fatwa (edict) against suicide bombings carried out by Taliban militants.

Shops, offices, banks and schools in Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan's two largest cities, were closed on Saturday in protest at Naeemi's killing, officials said.

In the other mosque attack, four people died and at least 105 were wounded when an explosives-filled car ploughed into a mosque in the northwestern garrison town of Nowshera, police said.

Meanwhile, security officials said that jets pounded militant hideouts in the Mohmand tribal district bordering Afghanistan, killing at least seven rebels. Jets also pounded the northwestern tribal districts of South and North Waziristan, they said.

The tolls could not be verified independently as the areas are out of bounds to journalists due to the ongoing military operations.

Separately, a roadside bomb targeting a police vehicle in the northwestern garrison town of Kohat wounded at least six policemen and two civilians, senior police official Dilawar Khan Bangash told AFP on Saturday.

A spokesman for militant leader Baitullah Mehsud's Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for Friday's two mosque attacks, as well as Tuesday's bombing of Peshawar's Pearl Continental hotel that killed nine people.

"Anyone who will oppose us to please the Americans will face the same fate," Maulvi Omar told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

In Washington, senior defence officials, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said Islamabad planned to step up its offensive against Taliban forces in South Waziristan.

The region is a stronghold for the TTP, Pakistan's umbrella Taliban organisation, as well as for Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups.

These groups are clearly interconnected, the official said, so "an offensive certainly can play an important role," noting that the strategy is to "have pressure on both sides of the border."

A 90,000-strong US and international coalition is fighting the Afghan Taliban and other insurgents on the Afghanistan side.

A second US defence official told reporters the Pakistani army has been redeploying forces to areas surrounding South Waziristan: "We think the initial phase of the operation has already begun," the official said.
 

MMuthu

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Ha ha ha.... I dont think the Taliban's can be crushed by PA. Still I cannot believe that they are determined to finish Taliban.

Either Pakistan Army is staging a Fake war or For getting aid pakistan is killing civilians and telling that they are Terrorists.

If Pakistan stage a fake war then america will understand on one fine day, If pakistan is really fighting the terrorists, then I hope they are digging a grave for themselves because there is no end for Taliban, the taliban will live till there are non-tolerent muslims in this world.
 

1.44

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In the Pakistani establishment's point of view the only threat is India and India alone.Nothing can be done or said that will change that.
In their narrow mindedness they'll always believe that India is ready to attack them 24x7 and that leaving their position in the eastern border will result in an Indian invasion.
If pointed out that India has never started a war with them they'll argue it furiously.
When the Taliban problem is taken care of they'll be back in their old positions armed with a few new weapons and the Pak government richer by a few billion, continuing their provocative policies and supporting the Kashmir terrorist movement.
 

p2prada

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Taliban does not have heavy weapons to counter PA or the US. I doubt they will last a full fledged thrust. But, the Taliban will utilize the only defence available. Human Shields.
 
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taliban don't need heavy weaponry they are fighting a guerilla war,which may seem primitive but it defeated the russians and probably will defeat the pakistanis too, they are well funded thru the heroin trade, this is just temporary until taliban starts striking pakistan then the pakistanis will do what they do best retreat.
 

p2prada

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Heavy Machine Guns and Anti-tank weapons are what I meant. Along with MANPADS. Pretty deadly.

We still have to see how committed the PA is? Defeating Taliban will take commitment and integrity among PA's troopers and commanders.
 
S

SinghIsKing

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pakistanis can't handle rag-tag militants. How are they going handle heavy mechanised Indian advances. Yea i know Nukes but that has its own fallout effects. Which prohibites them from reclaiming that area due to radiation. They just can't handle India anymore in full fledge conflict. LOL
 

NikSha

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How much do you guys wanna bet that US is making sure world and SPECIFICALLY, India knows that Pakistan is taking steps like these so we go back to the so called "talks over Kashmir", forgetting recent Mumbai attacks while we're at it?

I mean the Congress is so pathetic that we are already hearing rumors of India starting talks again.
 

thakur_ritesh

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the rule being followed is very simple, and that is to put pressure on india to move back from the stand it took post 26/11. india moved its troops to the border areas, activated its airforce to hit the terror infrastructure in pok and pak punjab and all these things do not go down well in the books of the us which is pursuing its interests in afpak region where they are pressing upon pak army to get in more forces a reply to which is that they can do that only when india moves back its forces and in this whole situation india is being pressed upon to follow what eventually is being planned by the pakistanis. not only this, our pm is to meet zardari in russia which is more or less confirmed. india quite clearly seems to be playing into the hands of pakistanis yet again and post “parakram” this looks like another embarrassment heading our way at the hands of pakistanis. it will be a shame if we move our troops back but then anything is expected from our politicians and with the way the things are being said in the media i wont be surprised india will start the composite dialog with pakistan in another 2 months from now and move are troops back to pre 26/11 positions and let pakistan have the much needed diplomatic space they are craving for. dont be surprised if this is what must have been pressed upon by obama's all too famous secret letter to the pm. the least one can expect is india holds on to its stand till at least those terrorists in pakistan are hanged to death who dared to do a 26/11 on us but then i am being too hopeful of people who are just too ready to do any thing for the americans at the moment. let the end of the story be scripted but i guess we all know the end all too well just like our hindi movies, oh so dramatic!
 

Ray

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Is it not interesting to note that with the US pressuring India to open dialogue with Pakistan, the secessionists in Kashmir have increased their clamour to get the security forces out of Kashmir?

So who is driving the agenda?
 

EnlightenedMonk

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Is it not interesting to note that with the US pressuring India to open dialogue with Pakistan, the secessionists in Kashmir have increased their clamour to get the security forces out of Kashmir?

So who is driving the agenda?
They are piggybacking on the US pressure to try and get their way...

I'm certain that the troops will be decreased in other forward areas to a minor extent but the troops in the valley will remain the same to a large extent... also, their police force might be modernised to take over slightly some duties that are currently being performed by the Army...
 

johnee

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TR:
India's official line is that we didnot increase troops, so decreasing the troops is out of question.......
 

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