Pakistan army says US scapegoating

[Abu Zolfiqar]

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Pakistan's top army commander Lt. Gen. Khalid Rabbani has accused the U.S. of seeking to make his country a scapegoat for the American failure to beat the insurgency in Afghanistan. In an interview he also added that American efforts to talk peace with insurgents in Afghanistan mean Washington can no longer expect Pakistan to attack all the militant factions on its side of the border.


American efforts to talk peace with insurgents in Afghanistan mean Washington can no longer expect Pakistan to attack all the militant factions on its side of the border, some of whom Islamabad is also reaching out to, the commander of Pakistan's forces along the frontier told The Associated Press.

In a sign of the bad blood between Washington and Islamabad, Lt. Gen. Khalid Rabbani also accused the U.S. of seeking to make Pakistan a scapegoat for its failure to beat the insurgency in Afghanistan.

U.S. and NATO officials say Pakistani tolerance of — or support for — Afghan factions operating on its soil is hobbling efforts to end the resistance to the foreign military presence in Afghanistan. The U.S. wants Pakistan to launch an offensive or otherwise disrupt militant groups in North Waziristan, the stronghold for multiple insurgent networks on the border.

"Why do they to raise their fingers toward Pakistan? It is shifting the blame to others," Rabbani said in his offices in a highly secure section of the main northwestern city of Peshawar. "Is Afghanistan free of Taliban? It has hundreds of thousands of them."

Rabbani was speaking a day after militants in North Waziristan beheaded 13 Pakistani soldiers, including four that it captured when Pakistani troops raided a militant hideout. The killings highlighted the dilemma facing the military in dealing with an area used by both the country's fiercest enemies, the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaida, and Afghan and Pakistani militants who are battling U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan but who the army believes don't pose a direct threat to Islamabad.

One powerful faction in North Waziristan is led by a commander called Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who is believed to have signed a nonaggression pact with the government but still funnels fighters into Afghanistan. Rabbani defended the government's dealings with Bahadur, saying "at the moment he seems to be trying to keep himself out of the trouble."

Washington has urged Pakistan to attack all the militants along the border, which it believes are equally dangerous. Rabbani said U.S. and NATO were in contact with insurgents in Afghanistan to try and "co-opt them into the peace process."

"Similar things are true on this side of the border as well," he said. "Is it forbidden for us to do the same?"

The Pakistani army has launched anti-militant operations in six of the seven tribal regions along the Afghan border since 2004, retaking parts of the mountainous area and losing hundreds of soldiers in bloody fighting. But just as U.S.-led forces have experienced across the border, the force has had trouble holding retaken territory and attacks continue to roil the region.

Privately, some U.S. officials agree with Pakistan's stated reason that its lacks the soldiers to move into North Waziristan and defeat the some 8,000 militants there. But others in Congress and the army accuse the force of seeking to keep the insurgents as proxies to influence events in Afghanistan, especially the so-called Haqqani network, whose leadership is said to be based in North Waziristan.

Repeating assurances by other top army officers, Rabbani said several times that the army would launch operations in North Waziristan. But he didn't say when this would happen, nor whether it would target all factions there.

"Something has to be done, and it's in the offing," said Rabbani, who commands over 150,000 soldiers and paramilitary forces in the rugged northwest. "North Waziristan is the only region we haven't cleared. It should be done as early as possible."

U.S. officials have been hoping to see the army move into North Waziristan since 2010, but now believe it is unlikely before 2014, when Washington is committed to bringing most of its soldiers home.

The unilateral American raid that killed Osama bin Laden last year badly hurt the relationship between the two countries. U.S. airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers along the Afghan border in November effectively ended cooperation between the two forces. Islamabad ordered the closure of U.S. and NATO supply lines.

Washington wants to rebuild ties with the country, but has had little success so far.

Pakistan army says US scapegoating - NY Daily News

[junaid1]

thats true .

[VCheng]

Better policies would avoid Pakistan being painted with a big bull's eye on its back as is happening slowly but surely. Mere complaining about any perceived unfairness would likely not be very productive.

[fatman17]

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Military operation in North Waziristan imminent: army

PESHAWAR: Repeating assurances by other top army officers, the Peshawar corps commander said the Pakistan Army would launch operations in North Waziristan. But he didn’t say when this would happen, nor whether it would target all factions there.

Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani told The Associated Press, “Something has to be done, and it’s in the offing”. Gen Rabbani, who commands over 150,000 soldiers and paramilitary forces in the rugged northwest, also said, “North Waziristan is the only region we haven’t cleared. It should be done as early as possible.”

American efforts to talk peace with insurgents in Afghanistan mean Washington can no longer expect Pakistan to attack all the terrorist factions on its side of the border, some of whom Islamabad is also reaching out to, Lt Gen Rabbani said.

In a sign of the bad blood between Washington and Islamabad, Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani also accused the US of seeking to make Pakistan a scapegoat for its failure to beat the insurgency in Afghanistan.

US and NATO officials say Pakistani tolerance of — or support for — Afghan factions operating on its soil is hobbling efforts to end the resistance to the foreign military presence in Afghanistan. The US wants Pakistan to launch an offensive or otherwise disrupt terrorist groups in North Waziristan, the stronghold for multiple insurgent networks on the border.

“Why do they to raise their fingers toward Pakistan? It is shifting the blame to others,” Rabbani said in his offices in a highly secure section of the main northwestern city of Peshawar. “Is Afghanistan free of Taliban? It has hundreds of thousands of them.”

Rabbani was speaking a day after terrorists in North Waziristan beheaded 13 Pakistani soldiers, including four that it captured when Pakistani troops raided a militant hideout. The killings highlighted the dilemma facing the military in dealing with an area used by both the country’s fiercest enemies, the Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda, and Afghan and Pakistani terrorists who are battling US-led forces in Afghanistan but who the army believes do not pose a direct threat to Islamabad.

One powerful faction in North Waziristan is led by a commander called Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who is believed to have signed a non-aggression pact with the government, but still funnels fighters into Afghanistan. Rabbani defended the government’s dealings with Bahadur, saying “at the moment he seems to be trying to keep himself out of the trouble”.

Washington has urged Pakistan to attack all the terrorists along the border, which it believes are equally dangerous.

Rabbani said US and NATO were in contact with insurgents in Afghanistan to try and “co-opt them into the peace process”.

“Similar things are true on this side of the border as well,” he said. “Is it forbidden for us to do the same?” ap

Better policies would avoid Pakistan being painted with a big bull's eye on its back as is happening slowly but surely. Mere complaining about any perceived unfairness would likely not be very productive.

pl continue with your 'blinkered' view.

[AstanoshKhan]

Already a thread exists on this... please MOD merge.

US shifting blame on PAK:Peshawar Corps Commander

The General state the obvious... I commend Pak Army for standing up to the ruthlessness of US and it's propaganda campaign.

A wise man once said: If you've got no enemies, you're not doing something worthwhile.

[Aslan]

Better policies would avoid Pakistan being painted with a big bull's eye on its back as is happening slowly but surely. Mere complaining about any perceived unfairness would likely not be very productive.

And you think it has not already been done, sitting in your living room on your cozy sofa, sipping what ever you like and watching fox dont make you an expert on things my man. Try getting the grasp of reality. You know which is the worst of losers; the one who starts to believe in the version of their own reality, the one that they have created them self.And US is no better.

[regular]

Yes! excellent views by our Core commander cuz he understandz the real game.....

[VCheng]

.................Repeating assurances by other top army officers, the Peshawar corps commander said the Pakistan Army would launch operations in North Waziristan. But he didn’t say when this would happen, nor whether it would target all factions there..............................

The realization that NWA has to be cleared is slowly sinking in, now the senior officers are just playing for time.

pl continue with your 'blinkered' view.

Of course, the view you regard as blinkered is simply correct and shall continue, but Pakistani policies regarding harboring and supporting terrorist on its soil will have to change, one way or another.

............ Try getting the grasp of reality. You know which is the worst of losers; the one who starts to believe in the version of their own reality, the one that they have created them self............

Those words apply far more to Pakistan than USA.

[The SC]

The US should get out of the Afghanistan very quickly or it will be hurt badly.
Failure is failure, blaming others for its own mischief is a rotten childish behaviour.
Since a true leader is the first one to recognise its mistakes, The US who wants to lead the world is far from being competent enough for that job.
So, The US is behaving irrationally all over the planet, and making it a dangerous place for everyone, this should be dealt with very seriously, and only a vital threat will make the rotten child behave rationally.

[lem34]

Better policies would avoid Pakistan being painted with a big bull's eye on its back as is happening slowly but surely. Mere complaining about any perceived unfairness would likely not be very productive.

Cheng if we listened to you the impression one gets is that you want Pakistan to just surrender to American and Indians designs.

Why are most of your thank you's from people who are known to detest Pakistan and want to harm Pakistan??

[nuclearpak]

The US is also a war-mongerer, but it gets away with it, due to it's economic, political and military might.

Pakistan on the other hand cannot.

So while the US does negotiations with the Taliban, it is for peace. When we do it, we are terrorist facilitators.

[DANGER-ZONE]

Cheng if we listened to you the impression one gets is that you want Pakistan to just surrender to American and Indians designs.

Why are most of your thank you's from people who are known to detest Pakistan and want to harm Pakistan??

Change your mind if u still think he is a Pakistani from any angle.

[Stealth]

One and Only country who call herself SUPER POWER - Military might lost EVERY-WAR in history - Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan ..... and blaming others. Only country who fought all the wars against those who have NOTHING COMPARABLE to them.

[Windjammer]

All the 9/11 attackers were Saudi nationals, their alleged mother ship, OBL, another Saudi national, groomed by CIA, is now out of the equation....... there is no reason left for the Americans to remain in Afghanistan. Pakistan should conduct operations, where ever deemed necessary on it's own accord and benefit. Suffice to say, the Americans so far have been fortunate for, the friendly fire thingy can happen both ways, it may be just the rude awakening that is required.

[regular]

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US wants total control of the world. So they will never allow Pakistan to feel free and act on its own cuz they want Pakistan to be their slave for good......