Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Catch Kashmiri, Omar by July: US warns Pak

Last updated on: June 1, 2011 13:59 IST
Afghan Taliban Mullah Omar

The United States has given Pakistan a deadline till July to launch a military offensive in the restive North Waziristan tribal region for capturing five most wanted al-Qaeda and Taliban terrorists, including Ayman al-Zawahiri, Mullah Omar and Ilyas Kashmiri.

Pakistani security forces have been asked to capture al-Zawahiri, Omar, Kashmiri, Sirajuddin Haqqani and Atia Abdur Rehman either in a unilateral or joint military action within the deadline till July -- the month when North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and allied forces will begin withdrawing from neighbouring Afghanistan.

The US demand has set alarm bells ringing in Pakistani civil and military circles, The News daily reported on Wednesday, quoting unnamed sources. Pakistan's security forces had so far shown reluctance in launching a military offensive in North Waziristan despite sustained pressure from the US to do so.

Click NEXT to read further

Haqqani: A vital link between Pak intel agencies and Afghan Taliban

Last updated on: June 1, 2011 13:59 IST
Jalaluddin Haqqani

The Haqqani militant network, based in North Waziristan, "had not been any threat to Pakistan" and has served as "a vital contact between the Pakistani intelligence agencies and the Afghan Taliban," the report said.

Another factor for the Pakistani military's reluctance to move into North Waziristan is the presence of "some very important pro-government" militant factions, including those led by Mullah Nazir and Hafiz Gul Bahadar.

These groups have "helped the Pakistani security forces keep the anti-government tribal fighters, including the Wazirs, at bay", the report said.

Click NEXT to read further

'Osama killing reinforced US decision to pull out troops from Afghanistan'

Last updated on: June 1, 2011 13:59 IST
An American flag is placed in a dirt-filled barrier outside the headquarters of 3rd Platoon near Kandahar

In the past few years, slain Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud and his successor Hakimullah Mehsud launched a "war against the Pakistani security forces with the help of the Mehsud tribe, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and some other sectarian groups".

The killing of Osama bin Laden in a US raid in Abbottabad on May 2 strengthened American decision to pull out its troops from Afghanistan, and political advisers such as US Vice President Joe Biden have advised President Barack Obama "not to go against the withdrawal roadmap" announced in 2009 if he wants to save the US economy from disastrous effects, the report said.

The deadline and increased pressure on Pakistan for a military operation in North Waziristan before starting the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan will serve several purposes, the report claimed.

Click NEXT to read further

'The arrests will be a morale booster for Americans'

Last updated on: June 1, 2011 13:59 IST
US President Barack Obama greets troops at Fort Campbell in Kentucky

The killing or arrest of some of the most wanted terrorists by Pakistani and US security forces will "boost the morale of the American people". Such a move will also shut up critics who "might say the withdrawal decision was taken by an exhausted nation and a defeated military".

"On the other hand, the Haqqani network and the Al Qaeda and Taliban commanders, allegedly based in Pakistan, and guiding the Afghan Taliban to fight the foreign forces, would not claim the US withdrawal their success," the report said.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.