Pakistan, Afghanistan to resume proxy war: US paper

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Proxy War, Pakistan, Afghanistan, WASHINGTON: Pakistan and Afghanistan may resume their proxy war after the Americans leave the region, a US newspaper warned on Monday while another said that the Pakistani government was holding talks with the Taliban against the army’s wishes.

The Los Angeles Times noted that Pakistan’s civilian government was “pushing back” against the country’s powerful military as politicians expanded their influence and since he returned to office in June, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had taken several steps to make this point.

He took up a case against army personnel over the disappearance of imprisoned militants, engaged the Taliban insurgents in peace talks and indicted Gen Pervez Musharraf on treason charges. The government and courts have denied the ailing Musharraf’s appeals to seek medical treatment abroad.

The military-civilian tussle, the report noted, presented a dilemma for the United States, which was eager to see democratic reforms but also supported the Pakistani army’s desire to go after the Taliban militants.

“US military officials fear that the (US) troop drawdown (by December 2014) will give the Pakistani Taliban more freedom to move in and out of Afghanistan,” the report added.

The newspaper pointed out that the civilian government’s efforts to reduce the military’s influence had its limits, particularly as talks with militants had stalled. “On the all-important issue of India, Mr Sharif has deferred to the military, which is opposed to making swift concessions to its rival.”

In a separate report, The New York Times noted that an eruption of violent rivalries and internal disputes in the past month had strained the militants’ cohesion, casting doubt on their ability to make peace.

An outbreak of infighting between rival Taliban groups in Waziristan earlier this month left at least 40 militants dead and exposed a violent rift in the movement’s operational heartland.

The fight stemmed from a leadership crisis that started with an American drone strike that killed Hakimullah Mehsud. Now the Taliban is led by a lame-duck figure, Maulana Fazlullah, who has struggled to keep his commanders in line, the report added.

The Taliban chose Mr Fazlullah to quell feuding between rival factions of the Mehsud tribe but it further increased the in-fighting as the Mehsuds appeared reluctant to accept a leader who was an outsider, said the report, pointing out that Mr Fazlullah was from Swat.

The newspaper also noted that the fighting within TTP was not just about tribal differences or over leadership. The Haqqani Network, which has a major influence in Waziristan, was pushing the Taliban to make peace with Pakistan, so that it could use them in Afghanistan after the Americans left.

Fazlullah, on the other hand, wanted to focus on fighting Pakistan.

The report also noted that last week in Kabul, former and serving Afghan government officials unveiled a policy of sanctuary and limited financial assistance to Taliban factions that wish to resume fighting inside Pakistan.

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Discussion3 Comments

  1. Which means reading between the lines that it in Americas interests to ensure Afghanistan and Pakistan remain like 2 brothers divided post American invasion of Afghanistan.

    Which means all these CIA installations across Pakistan will continue to destabilize the region and ensure Pakistan and Afghanistan remain destabilized.

    Their trusted nefarious new ally India will remain instrumental in doing so.

    For Pakistan to prosper and be safe it is high time Pakistanis demand for the military to move in and dispose all instruments of foreign states,Pakistan can protect itself through martial law.

    If we do as they want us we are demonized but risk losing our sovereignty and risk complete failure so we may as we’ll secure sovereignty tighten our belts and risk the back lash but under military rule.

    If ever a nation needed to hang key people in key strategic roles for high treason it was in Pakistan.

    Things look bleak and not looking to get better soon as the great game continues.

    • Are pakistanis massochist that they love being under military dictatorhip? well, thats a personal choice but pak military and it’s dictators track records are not very impressive. But its good for India that Pak army is engaged along durand line.

    • What a pile,of misinformation!…where are”all the CIA installations across Pakistan”?…there are not any!…what fantasy land do you live in?…the enemy is the Taliban and the TTP mass murderers and they certainly don’t take orders from the Americans! …you are foolishly believing conspiracy theories that are unsubstantiated by any proof or even evidence…

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