US includes Fata in its area of concern

By Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON, Sept 10: The US military will revise its strategy for Afghanistan to include militant ‘safe havens’ in Pakistan in its area of concern, the top US military officer said on Wednesday.

As Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen underlined key points of the new strategy at a congressional hearing in Washington, the White House and the State Department indicated that they already had an understanding with Pakistan on implementing this strategy.

Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that the new Pakistani government had approved a US ground attack inside South Waziristan that killed 20 people last week.

Afghanistan and Pakistan “in my view … are inextricably linked in a common insurgency that crosses the border between them,” said Admiral Mullen while explaining the need to include Fata in the new US military strategy.

At the White House, spokesperson Dana Perino told journalists that Pakistan’s new government had pledged to work with the US to “prevent more attacks on the American people”, as did the Musharraf regime.

And at the State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack said that the US and Pakistan were going to “maximise the effectiveness of our efforts” to fight militants in Fata.

Admiral Mullen disclosed that in extensive meetings this year he had “pressed hard” on Pakistani military leaders to allow the US military to become more involved in helping them.

“Until we work more closely with the Pakistani government to eliminate the safe havens from which they operate, the enemy will only keep coming”.

Admiral Mullen said that America’s inability to contain violence in Afghanistan had forced its military leaders to adopt a more aggressive strategy.

“I’m not convinced we are winning it in Afghanistan. I am convinced we can,” he said.

“We are (now) looking at a new, more comprehensive strategy for the region” that would cover both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, he said.

US Defence Secretary Robert M. Gates told the same congressional hearing that the insurgents in Afghanistan now had a “greater ambition” and had increased their attacks steadily since the spring of 2006, resulting partly from safe havens in Pakistan.

Mr Gates noted that the total number of US troops in Afghanistan had grown from 21,000 in 2006 to nearly 31,000.

Admiral Mullen, however, warned that even an enhanced US military presence in Afghanistan would not bring complete peace or stability. “No amount of troops in no amount of time can ever achieve all the objectives we seek,” he said, adding later: “We can’t kill our way to victory.”

As America observes the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, discussions at the White House focussed more on efforts to catch Osama bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders.

“I think the president believes that it’s important for us to hunt and track down and bring to justice Osama bin Laden,” said Ms Perino. “And it would be important for Americans, but it’s important for justice most of all.”

The discussion eventually led to Pakistan’s role in the US-led war on terror. “President Bush worked very closely with General Musharraf -- then- president Musharraf in order to help prevent attacks from happening again on American soil,” said Ms Perino.

“We have to continue to work with the Pakistanis. And President Bush just spoke yesterday to President Zardari and pledged the full support of America to continue to work with them in order to prevent more attacks on the American people,” she added.Ms Perino acknowledged that Pakistan’s cooperation with the US had prevented another terrorist attack inside America.

“That doesn’t mean that there aren’t those who are trying to plot attacks and plan attacks and that aren’t ready to try to carry out attacks. But it does mean that we have increased cooperation and coordination,” she said.

When reminded that Pakistani officials had criticised recent US military strikes into Fata, Ms Perino said: “I think that you should look at President Zardari’s comments yesterday in which he also pledged Pakistan’s full support.”

At the State Department, spokesman McCormack, while talking about US relations with the new Pakistani president, said: “For us right at the top of that list is counter-terrorism cooperation. And I suspect that same issue would be at the top of their (Pakistan’s) list as well.”

He said that the government and the people of Pakistan had as much a stake in this as the rest of the world. “And so, with that thought in mind … we’re going to look to maximise the effectiveness of our efforts, their efforts and our cooperative efforts.”

Asked if the US had received any word from former president Musharraf to visit the US, Mr McCormack said: “I’m not aware of any.”

Source: Dawn, Karanchi

URL: https://newageislam.com/war-terror/us-includes-fata-its-area/d/766