Amid accusations by Pakistan that America deliberately sabotaged peace talks by killing Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, the Unites States on Sunday said the militant group has a "symbiotic relationship" with the Al Qaeda and provided "safe haven" to terrorists.
At least 6 militants, including foreigners, were killed and 3 others injured on Tuesday in a United States drone attack in Pakistan's restive North Waziristan tribal region.
India is apprehensive about the Taliban's return as it would mean loss of access to Baluch rebels and help to the restive tribals of Waziristan. This would be a setback to the Indian strategy of returning the compliments of death by a thousand cuts to Pakistan, notes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had planned to mount indiscriminate attacks on the Pakistani soil before his death in a covert United Stated raid in Abbottabad, the documents seized by the Americans from the slain terrorist's compound in the Pakistani garrison city have suggested. The Central Intelligence Agency shared intelligence about possible Al Qaeda attacks inside Pakistan when officials of the two countries met to explore the way forward in resetting bilateral ties.
'As India progresses and takes an increasingly hardline approach to Pakistani hostility, the young and restless population of Pakistan, sooner than later, will demand 'Gazwa e Hind' (conquest of India),' warns Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The United Stated deducted $55 million under its reimbursement programme -- for expenses incurred by Pakistan on the war on terror -- after American auditors raised objections to a claim submitted by the country.US authorities deducted the amount, while releasing only $101 million out of Pakistan's claim of $156 million for expenses incurred on the campaign against terrorism till April 2008. The move was the outcome of objections from American auditors.
In an unusual remark, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani has said that one of the reasons for recent devastating floods in his country could be human activity on the heavily-militarised Siachen glacier.
The United States has asked Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack, which killed over 160 people including six Americans, to justice. India and the US have maintained that terrorist leaders based in Pakistan were responsible for the strike. "We believe the government of Pakistan should continue its investigation, to ensure that all those who are responsible for the attack are in fact brought to justice," said the State Department.
Nuclear powered India and Pakistan are constantly skirmishing in Kashmir, the outgoing US National Security Advisor, Susan Rice, said identifying some of the Russian actions, Syria along with North Korea and South Asia or a pandemic flu as some of the less probable but catastrophic scenarios globally.
'I am inclined to believe that there must have been some low-level rogue element in the Pakistani government who looked the other way while the training and logistics support were being provided,' Muqtedar Khan told rediff.com 'Otherwise, it is very difficult for anybody to carry out such a sophisticated operation.'
