NATO presses Pakistan on 'terrorist' safe havens
Amid growing US pressure for Pakistan to take action against al Qaeda-linked extremists, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for a "positive engagement" from Islamabad to ensure stability in Afghanistan.
"We encourage the Pakistani military and the Pakistani government to do its utmost to fight extremism and terrorism in the border region," Rasmussen said at a defence forum hosted by the European Policy Centre think tank.
(Read: The Taliban & the Haqqanis)
"It is really a security problem for our troops in Afghanistan that terrorists have safe havens, and that's a fact, in Pakistan," he said. "We have to deal with that and it's in our mutual interest to deal with that."
"That's a reason why we have conveyed that clear message to Pakistan authorities."
The government and political leaders on Thursday closed ranks against increasing US pressure for action against the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network, refusing to be pressured into doing more in the war on terror.
In an unprecedented condemnation of Pakistan, the outgoing head of the US military, Admiral Mike Mullen, last week accused the country of "exporting" violent extremism to Afghanistan through proxies.
Mullen also charged that the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) was actively supporting the Haqqani network blamed for an assault on the US embassy in Kabul this month.
There are 140,000 NATO-led foreign forces in Afghanistan, some 100,000 of them from the United States, fighting a Taliban-led insurgency.
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Okay lets make sense of the news. Here Rasmussen (Nato's secretary General) is asking Pakistan to act on "terrorist" safe havens i.e. to kill Haqqani fighters. Now some poeple are in the illusion that this is a war between sanity and insanity and not war on Islam. Let me remind these people that this very Rasmussen criticized the newspaper Politiken Tøger Seidenfaden which reprinted the Prophet Mohammed caricatures in 2008 and then the newspaper apologized later on. But guess what???!?!!!!! Rasmussen criticized the newspaper on apologizing and not for the reprinting the caricatures!!!!!!!!!! Now he is calling us to fight on his behalf??
@Thomas (Australian): It is normally observed that those who suffer from Stockholm Syndrome are generally completely unaware of it.
Sob sob:(( ways to cover one's failures? US why are you crying? Everyone knows what you are up to, it is written on the wall. One day your people will come to beat you because a day will come when they will realize what a fool their governments has made of their innocence and exploited the love they hold for their country. Be wary! You can bomb, kill, do anything but what goes forward comes back to hit hard. we are used to hard times. We fast everyday. What will your people do when hard times come? Not too far to go! 2035 is the scientific prediction by which time US will be in the dump.
Pakistan Army Zindabad!
@Cautious: Grow up and check situation in Afghanistan itself where world top 42 countries with strong 140.000 ISAF forces with best and latest fighting machines plus 300,000 Afghan army could not do anything. Pakistan actually helped them for the last 10 years and gave scrifies. No other country have guts to give this much sacrifies for the whole world.
They should first help themselves then think other things.
what is 140,000 forces of NATO forces are doing in Afganistan , why dont they stop ppl from crossing from afganistan to pakistan , they have to stop them instaed of that they are putting un necesary pressure on pakistan.
Instead of killing innocent people in bomb blast and having rancor in revenge of NATO presence in AFGHANISTAN, and near PAKISTAN border , a mass" QUIT AFGHANISTAN". movement should be launched, both in Pakistan and Afghanistan , the most democratic way of showing a nations disliking towards an uninvited guest. When people take the street nothing can stop them, and this is called the "PEOPLE POWER" no super power can stand it.It must start now!
I would love to know what Pakistan has gained by supporting terrorists in all these years - just one little thing that the terrorists have done that has made Pakistan better than what it might have been. It just boggles the mind of the outsider looking in that the ruling class can be so naive and short-sighted. Until the late eighties, Pakistan was ahead of India in all parameters and the downward spiral started the day they decided to harbor terrorists to wrest Kashmir. Look what that has done for the nation.
*It seems US does not have spine to take on Pakistan It is unnecessarily imagining nightmare scenarios. US wake up to the reality. Only who think of future will be remembered for ever *
NATO is an occupying force and at war with Afghanistan, The NATO forces have failed to manage or contain the Taliban and is now desperate to withdraw from the Lost war, if Rassmussen is so concerned about the safety of his troops then he should withdraw them right away. They should have done their home work before jumping into the war Don't blame Pakistan for your failure. They may have won battles but sure are losing the War.
It is my suggestion that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen should read "Pakistan: A Personal History" by Imran Khan - in particular chapter 9 'The Tribal Areas: Civil War My Solution'.
It is obvious many senior military leaders lack a sound understanding of the cultural issues and how to solve the problems that have been created by others in the region. What he is recommending would most likely result in an increase in terrorism in both Afghanistan, Pakistan, India controlled areas in the region ... and possibly even in NATO countries.
I’d suggest Palestine as a UN member may be a better catalyst for peace in the region rather than trying to exert undue pressure on Pakistan ... as well as steps to encourage actual economic growth in the region … but if you kill innocent people it often has consequences and the majority of the residents in the border regions are NOT terrorists but thousands have been killed by drone strikes.
I was recently in Pakistan on a business trip and had NIL negative experiences with Pakistani people that I met travelling around Karachi, Pakistan and found Pakistanis very friendly and the situation different to that portrayed by the media.
@Diggvijay Singh: 'I see this as part of a conspiratorial propaganda against Pakistan'.
I fully agree with you. Yesterday's APC just let the people of Pakistan down.
Yesterday's outcome of the APC should be enough to open their eyes. Their establishment and the politician have yet again hoodwinked the people. Basically with this, USA and NATO have a free hand.
You don't have the sovereign right to harbor terrorist.- and no one outside of Pakistan has any sympathy for Pakistan on this issue. If your incapable of handling the problem then ask for help or maybe just step aside let others handle the issue.
Four Afghan provinces adjacent to pak-afgh border are under complete taliban controll .Nato-US forces are not interested to dislodge them but they are crying the hell out about alleged pakistan - taliban sanctueries.This does not make sense.
And what about terrorist activities eminating from the NATO/US side of the border Mr General Secretary? We, Pakistanis, urge you to do likewise and apply the same rules... No hypocracy or duplicity - thank you...
Nato and US had tested an ignominious defeat in Afghanistan, looking for face-saving and that was they reason indulged in blame-game. However, it is open secret what they Americans and their allies really wanted.
Americans are very calculative in their policies. According to current situation in Afghanistan Pakistan became irritatingly indispensable for them. Dumping Pakistan would be terrible option.
It is obvious that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is about to retire!
bro you wont get one! why do you ask. The enemy lines are drawn Pakistan has chosen the obscurantist route.
They wont back down! U see They always have a long long planning. And thìs chourus of allegations will not die down. All we have to do is to stop counter attacks or harsh talk. Patiently study the US attitude while simultaneously create sympathetic atmosphere for ourslves all around by showing the world our flood and terrorism problems more vigoriously. In all "We need the moral high ground!"
Here you go, pressure rises more. We dont want facts, we want evidence.
I see this as part of a conspiratorial propaganda against Pakistan to weaken another Muslim nation. Pakistan is the only Islamic nuclear power and its concerns need to be respected. When will the world realize that victimizing Muslims is of no avail? This will only add a few more bricks to the wall dividing Muslim and non-Muslim world, making the wall insurmountable. Why don't we instead look for peaceful resolution of the problems of Palestine and Kashmir? The Israeli occupation of Palestine has injured the collective psyche of Muslims all over the world. From the standpoint of a secular Indian humanist, I also want to say that the Kashmir dispute needs to be resolved at once in accordance with the hopes, aspirations and faith of the Pakistani people and the Muslims of Kashmir valley. Only by addressing these root causes shall we embark upon a path of shared prosperity and growth.
Are the Haqqanis so precious?
Americans are very calculative in their policies. According to current situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan became irritatingly indispensable for them. Dumping Pakistan would be terrible option.
We Pakistanies don't need to buy made in China Irons to press our clothes as every single day we are pressed by made in EU or USA Iron.
Nato and Americans are occupation forces in Afghanistan just like soviet union..so how come afghan Taliban who are fighting against them in there own land are regarded as terrorists..one day they will leave this region as they did at the end of soviet collapse...but we Pakistanis have to live here..we can not afford to attack our tribal areas more as we already have faced its consequences in terms of devastating suicide bombings and terrorism..Americans them self wants to do negotiation or talks with Taliban..but when it comes to Pakistan they tell us to fight instead of talks..the only way forward as Imran Khan so rightly said is that enough is enough and we Pakistan should start talks and engage all the people in the tribal areas fighting against Pakistan or America...let them come on the table...facilitate America for exit strategy from Afghanistan and for god sake leave Pakistan and Afghanistan live in peace...Taliban don't have power or money to hit America or any NATO country..it was AL QAEDA who had this capability..the only biggest and worst mistake we did was not to alienate Taliban and AL QAEDA instead by starting army operations we have managed to unite them more..
If Pakistan has the right to harbour and support militants who want to overthrow the current government in Kabul, to ensure its strategic interests,
Does India have the same right vis-a-vis Pakistan? Does the US have the same right vis-a-vis Pakistan? Does Iran have the same rights vis-a-vis Pakistan? Does Afghanistan have the same rights vis-a-vis Pakistan?