Pakistan Taliban: Our Fighters Head to Afghan War, The Associated Press in Yahoo, 23 December 2009
EXCERPT: "A top Pakistani Taliban commander told The Associated Press he has sent thousands of fighters to neighboring Afghanistan to counter the influx of new American troops. The U.S. military on Wednesday dismissed the claim as mere rhetoric — although there's no denying that militants from various jihadi groups are crossing the border. Analysts also expressed skepticism, saying the Pakistani Taliban remained focused on fighting at home, where they are under siege from the Pakistan army. The claim from Pakistani Taliban deputy chief Waliur Rehman's could be an attempt to exacerbate tension between the U.S. and Pakistan, as President Barack Obama presses a reluctant Islamabad to prevent militants from staging cross-border attacks against coalition troops in Afghanistan. 'Since Obama is also sending additional forces to Afghanistan, we sent thousands of our men there to fight NATO and American forces,' Rehman told AP in a face-to-face interview Monday night in Shaktoi, South Waziristan, part of Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal area near the Afghan border. The Afghan 'Taliban needed our help at this stage, and we are helping them,' said Rehman, deputy to Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud."
Read the full story.
Related articles:
US Afghan strategy has implications for Pakistan, Daily Times, 23 December 2009
Afghanistan war: Marines move in to stop Taliban from Pakistan, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 December 2009
Review of the year 2009: Afghanistan, The Independent, 23 December 2009
Taliban destroy Afghan post near border, DAWN, 21 December 2009
Related reports:
2011 and beyond: Visualising AfPak, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, 23 December 2009
Related posts:
"Most militants fled S. Waziristan operation": Report, 21 December 2009
Pakistan split over US demand for attack on Afghan Taliban, 16 December 2009
The jihadist strategic dilemma, 8 December 2009
Afghan Taliban chief hides in Pakistan, 20 November 2009
Why Pakistan won't fight the Afghan Taliban, 20 November 2009
