Islamabad - A senior US official on Wednesday praised
Pakistan for its ongoing operation against Islamic militants in the
restive Khyber tribal district, where security forces arrested around
two dozen rebels and destroyed their two centres.
'The operation around Peshawar is very welcome. People up there
have had enough of the harassment by these groups,' Assistant
Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard
Boucher told reporters in Islamabad.
'People want a safer environment. It's good that FC (Frontier
Corps) has started to establish safety,' he added.
Paramilitary troops on Saturday launched a major offensive in
Khyber district against Mangal Bagh and his heavily armed followers
who were making inroads in Peshawar, the capital of North-West
Frontier Province (NWFP) and trying to impose Taliban-style rule in
parts of the city.
Later, two other militant groups in the area were also targeted.
Twenty-five suspected militants were arrested and a large amount
of weapons seized in overnight actions on Wednesday, the fifth day
of the operation. Eighteen insurgents were apprehended when they
tried to resists security forces destroying two militant centres.
Seven, including a commander from Bagh's Lashkr-i-Islam group,
were captured when they were heading towards Tirah Valley, where
their comrades are fighting with the rival Ansar-ul-Islam
organization, a security official said.
The security offensive in Pakistan's volatile tribal region, which
has sanctuaries for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters launching
cross-border raids on international forces in Afghanistan, is the
first since the new government took over in March.
Initially, the government tried to tackle the problem of militancy
through peace negotiations, raising concern in Washington which
believes the peace deals could only provide opportunity to the rebels
to regroup and strike with more force in Afghanistan as well as in
Pakistan.
Boucher said that his country approved Pakistan's talks only with
the local tribesmen but not with Taliban.
'We don't support making concessions to violent leaders like
Baitullah Mehsud.
We don't support releasing terrorists in the wild so that they can
strike again. But we do support working with the tribes which are
responsible for their own security and help stabilization in the
region.'
Baitullah Mehsud is the head of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (Taliban
Movement Pakistan), an umbrella militant organization.
He is believed to have ordered dozens of suicide attacks,
including the one which killed former prime minister Benazir Bhutto,
across Pakistan.
Pakistani government has recently engaged him in informal peace
talks under which he ordered a halt to the attacks on security
forces.
But the contacts, never acknowledged officially by the
authorities, were suspended early this week following Khyber district
operation.
Boucher emphasized that coordinated efforts were required to deal
with Taliban insurgents operating on both sides of the
Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
'We need to work with Pakistan so that we and the Afghan can take
care of the problem on Afghan side and Pakistan army can take care of
the problem on Pakistan side,' he added.
patriotJul 2nd, 2008 - 15:17:46
March to Nationanlize US Oil Industry held on 9/11/08 in Los Angeles, CA
The march is scheduled for September 11, 2008 at the Federal Building 11000 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, Usa.
Congress WILL nationalize the oil industry!
CHANGE for America, for Americans.
THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
A Sovereign Republic
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