Pushing Pakistan To Keep Up Terror Fight

NATO, Western Diplomats Urge Crucial Country's New Leaders Not To Soften On Militants

(CBS)  Written for CBSNews.com by Farhan Bokhari, reporting from Islamabad.

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NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will travel to Pakistan before the end of this month to urge Pakistani leaders to take urgent measures to curb the flow of Taliban militants from Pakistan to Afghanistan, a senior Western diplomat tells CBS News.

Confirmation of Scheffer's pending visit came amid growing concerns in Washington and other Western capitals that Pakistan's new coalition government was softening its tactics against Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants in the country.

NATO officials tracking attacks on Western and Afghan troops in Afghanistan warned Wednesday that the attacks rose by 50 percent in April compared to a year ago.

"We are concerned about this trend. There is an urgent need for Pakistan to tighten controls around this situation," said the diplomat, who spoke to CBS News in Islamabad on condition of anonymity.

"We want to tell the Pakistanis they have very high stakes in this situation," he added.

Pakistani government officials confirmed Wednesday that they had released more than 30 Taliban suspects from custody in exchange for the release of at least seven military and paramilitary troops who had been held by fighters loyal to Baitullah Mehsud, a prominent militant commander.

For months, Mehsud has secretly negotiated with Pakistani officials to strike a peace agreement, in spite of concerns from Western governments that acquiescing to him would worsen the security situation in Pakistan and the region.

In 2006, the Pakistani government struck a controversial peace agreement with militants in the Waziristan region, near the Afghan border, only to see that deal collapse within months. Militants loyal to the Taliban and al Qaeda used the opportunity offered by that agreement to reorganize and launch more frequent and deadly attacks on Pakistani troops.

The new agreement comes with vows from Pakistani officials that they have no intention to withdraw Pakistani troops from crucial border region.

On Wednesday, a senior Pakistani government official told CBS News that there might be some reduction of troops in certain areas, but it would not compromise the Pakistani military's overall control.

"You might see some thinning of troop presence, but we are not going to create empty pockets anywhere," said the official, who also spoke on the condition that he not be named.

Western diplomats also warned that the new Pakistani government, which came to power after national elections in February, had to move quickly to establish a clearer policy on fighting militancy.

These warnings followed statements from leaders of the new government who stated their intention to review Pakistan's involvement in the war on terror - six years after the country joined the U.S.-led anti-terror alliance in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"There has to be a clearer statement from Pakistani leaders that they will not compromise with militants," another Western diplomat told CBS News. "If Pakistani leaders are looking for compromises with militants, they will not find much support for their cause outside the country."

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Farhan Bokhari has been covering Southeast Asia for several large European news organizations for 16 years. Based in Islamabad, he focuses his coverage on politics and security issues surrounding the war against terrorism.

[tmittelstaed]

Pakistan isn''t dumb. They read the papers, they see what Obama and Clinton are saying - the troops will come out if we are elected. Pakistan knows the US troops will be out within 2 years and the US Afghanistan presense will be less and is working out an uneasy truce with the militants now, while they still have some leverage.

[guadalcanal3]

tmittelstaed...Yep....That makes sense to me....

[bluestardad]

IF THE WEST WANTED JUSTICE THEY WOULD LET THE PAKISTAN DEAL WITH THIS HOW THEY FEEL IS BEST FOR THEIR COUNTRY...

WESTERN DIPLOMATS SURE ARENT MISS NO ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE CONDI RICE SHE IS AN INEPT COWARD LIKE THE REST OF THE AND WILL HAVE HER DAY IN COURT FOR THE WAR CRIMES SHE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[mcvet]

Pakistan isn''''t dumb. They read the papers, they see what Obama and Clinton are saying - the troops will come out if we are elected. Pakistan knows the US troops will be out within 2 years and the US Afghanistan presense will be less and is working out an uneasy truce with the militants now, while they still have some leverage.


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Posted by tmittelstaed at 04:55 AM : May 15, 2008
+ report abuse

ROFLMAO You POOR simple minded FASCIST just can''t make up your minds can you?? ROFLMAO One day you want to hang Obama from a tree for saying he would go into Pakistan and find Bin Laden. The next you are posting OUTRIGHT lies about the same issue in reverse!! Now wonder American''s are turning away from you freaks in droves... YOU will tell whatever lie is necessary to win! God were does slime like this come from??? Uuuggggghhhh!! Sieg Heil Rush!!

[skyk-2009]

ROFLMAO You POOR simple minded FASCIST just can''''t make up your minds can you?? ROFLMAO One day you want to hang Obama from a tree for saying he would go into Pakistan and find Bin Laden. The next you are posting OUTRIGHT lies about the same issue in reverse!! Now wonder American''''s are turning away from you freaks in droves... YOU will tell whatever lie is necessary to win! God were does slime like this come from??? Uuuggggghhhh!! Sieg Heil Rush!!


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Posted by MCVet at 07:53 AM : May 15, 2008
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Hey Sarge! Good Morning! You are so right! I few months ago the talking heads that make up the Republican Media were blasting Obama left and right because he said HE would use our military and hunt down those who attacked us INSIDE Pakistan. The poster is obviously either a Trailer Dweller who is just not informed or is someone who wants to play on those folks fear. That''s all they have though is fear. What was it FDR said... "We have nothing to Fear but Fear itself". Since the enemy USES Fear as it''s biggest Weapon, the Republican''s are the LAST people on the planet we should want trying to fight them.

[skyk-2009]

tmittelstaed...Yep....That makes sense to me....


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Posted by guadalcanal3 at 05:13 AM : May 15, 2008
+ report abuse

How so? What about that post is even TRUTH? Since when does an OUTRIGHT lie make sense. Folks we need to start LISTENING to what people say and allow followers of the "Party", like this poor fool, hide under their rocks!!

[petro49l]

Man, these Qada and Taliban are a bunch of ignorant weaklings. American Soldiers bench press 500 pounds of steel for sheer size and strength. A.Q. has muscle like a flea. Homosexuals like Qada and Taliban should give this up. Their failure has just begun.

[panhandlpete]

Just because a Dem president is elected (hopefully, we won''t get marshal law instituted prior to the election due to some catastrophe, natural or otherwise), the troops will remain as the DEMS just do not have the crystals to live up to their promises........remember ''06 and the promise to change the direction......more troops were sent and more money spent and more lives were lost and more promises made.

If Pakastan officials read the newspapers to learn what is going on in American politics, they are just as spoon fed as US citizens. The truth no longer gets out in the media as it is filtered for possible damage to a sect or client or whatever reason given.

[tomflint69]

Pakistan is our ally. I am sure that there will be no need to send troops to Pakistan and why should we, when we know that they (Pakistanis) are WITH us?
Instead of wasting troops in Afghanistan, we should send them to Iraq where the insurgents have automatic weapons and are getting aid from Iran.
For a moment think that Mr ''O Sam A'' is living a comfortable life in China, then what will you do? Can we confront a war with China?

[ozonmojo]

What is the immediate provocation for this report?The new leaders of Pakistan are actually too busy fighting among themselves to bother about the militants or the EU.

[lochlan-2009]

"NATO, Western Diplomats Urge Crucial Country''s New Leaders Not To Soften On Militants"

Sorry Chevron, looks like your pipeline won''t get the protection you need to go forward with it''s construction. Say bye,bye $$$$.

[prinzowhales]

The Dutchie and NATO want the Paks to turn their country into a battleground as well. Pakistan has made a critical error by pursuing the cowardly middle ground...trying to play the Zionazis for weapons to maintain the strategic balance of terror with India and at the same time do enough in the ''war on terror'' to keep the Zionazi New World Order happy....They always want more...Islamabad will learn this before the end.

[riddelup-2009]

Pakistan is our as was Iran when we put a puppet non representative government in place.