Kayani says won’t allow Drones in Balochistan
Posted on 30 September 2009. Tags: kayani on us drone strikes, no drone attacks in balochistan
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said that the US drone attacks would not be allowed in Balochistan, Aaj News reported on Tuesday.
Kayani’s response came as an American newspaper reported that Taliban – headed by their fugitive leader Mullah Muhammad Omar – have new safe havens around Quetta, with US officials expressing concerns over the role of the group in the area.
According to AAJ TV private channel, the army chief gave his views on US drone strikes in the Tripartite Commission meeting held recently in Kabul.
The channel quoted ISPR as saying that the Tripartite Commission composed of senior military representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, held its 28th meeting in Kabul.
Delegations were headed by General Bismullah Khan, Chief of the General Staff Afghan National Army, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Pakistan and General McCrystal, Commander International Security Assistance Forces, Afghanistan.
During his visit to Kabul, COAS also met Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
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As American troops move deeper into southern Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, US officials are expressing fresh concerns over the role of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar and his council of lieutenants, who reportedly plan and launch cross-border strikes from safe havens around Quetta,” said the Washington Post.
“But US officials acknowledge they know relatively little about the Pakistani border region, have no capacity to strike there and have few windows into the turbulent mix of Pashtun tribal and religious politics that has turned the area into a sanctuary for the Taliban leaders, who are known collectively as the Quetta shura.”
Pakistani and foreign analysts said Quetta has suddenly emerged as an urgent but elusive new target as Washington grapples with the Taliban’s rapidly spreading arc of influence and terror across Afghanistan.
“In the past, we focused on Al Qaeda… the Quetta shura mattered less to us because we had no troops in the region,” said US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson. “Now… the Quetta Shura is high on Washington’s list.”
Although Omer and his associates keep a low profile, Pakistani and foreign experts say Balochistan has re-emerged as a “Taliban sanctuary, recruiting ground and command post”.
“Quetta is absolutely crucial to the Taliban today,” said Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani expert on the Taliban. “From there they get recruits… suicide bombers are trained on that side.” Michael Semple, a former UN official in Afghanistan now based in Islamabad, described the Quetta region’s refugee camps as “a great reserve army” for the Taliban.
Posted on 30 September 2009. Tags: kayani on us drone strikes, no drone attacks in balochistan
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said that the US drone attacks would not be allowed in Balochistan, Aaj News reported on Tuesday.
Kayani’s response came as an American newspaper reported that Taliban – headed by their fugitive leader Mullah Muhammad Omar – have new safe havens around Quetta, with US officials expressing concerns over the role of the group in the area.
According to AAJ TV private channel, the army chief gave his views on US drone strikes in the Tripartite Commission meeting held recently in Kabul.
The channel quoted ISPR as saying that the Tripartite Commission composed of senior military representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan, held its 28th meeting in Kabul.
Delegations were headed by General Bismullah Khan, Chief of the General Staff Afghan National Army, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Pakistan and General McCrystal, Commander International Security Assistance Forces, Afghanistan.
During his visit to Kabul, COAS also met Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.
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As American troops move deeper into southern Afghanistan to fight the Taliban, US officials are expressing fresh concerns over the role of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar and his council of lieutenants, who reportedly plan and launch cross-border strikes from safe havens around Quetta,” said the Washington Post.
“But US officials acknowledge they know relatively little about the Pakistani border region, have no capacity to strike there and have few windows into the turbulent mix of Pashtun tribal and religious politics that has turned the area into a sanctuary for the Taliban leaders, who are known collectively as the Quetta shura.”
Pakistani and foreign analysts said Quetta has suddenly emerged as an urgent but elusive new target as Washington grapples with the Taliban’s rapidly spreading arc of influence and terror across Afghanistan.
“In the past, we focused on Al Qaeda… the Quetta shura mattered less to us because we had no troops in the region,” said US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson. “Now… the Quetta Shura is high on Washington’s list.”
Although Omer and his associates keep a low profile, Pakistani and foreign experts say Balochistan has re-emerged as a “Taliban sanctuary, recruiting ground and command post”.
“Quetta is absolutely crucial to the Taliban today,” said Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani expert on the Taliban. “From there they get recruits… suicide bombers are trained on that side.” Michael Semple, a former UN official in Afghanistan now based in Islamabad, described the Quetta region’s refugee camps as “a great reserve army” for the Taliban.
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