Pakistan Conflict Monitor

Senior Haqqani Network Leader Denies Alleged Links to ISI

Taliban Responds to WikiLeaks, The Daily Beast, 28 July 2010

EXCERPT: "Responding to WikiLeaks' release of tens of thousands of pages of classified military documents about the war in Afghanistan, a high-ranking Taliban commander rejected reports that the Taliban had any links with Pakistan’s spy agency. 'Look, we’re at war and would like to get aid from anyone to fight against the U.S. and its allies who invaded our homeland,' Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior leader of the Haqqani network, told The Daily Beast on Monday, denying any existing links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, known by its acronym ISI. According to The New York Times, the leaked military reports suggest that Pakistan—a country at least nominally a U.S. ally and the recipient of more than $1 billion a year in U.S. aid—has been collaborating indirectly or directly with the Taliban and its affiliates in Afghanistan. [...] While Haqqani said the leaked reports were useful to him, he also said he wished they had been leaked earlier because they provided evidence of American brutality in Afghanistan."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Insurgent leader on WikiLeaks: Now you tell us, Wired Magazine, 28 July 2010
My war, WikiLeaked: Why the public (and the military) can’t count on those battle logs, Wired // Danger Room, 28 July 2010
US report on ISI-Taliban link is fictional: Ex-ISI chief [video], Times of India, 28 July 2010
Key quotes from the document, BBC News, 28 September 2006

Related posts:
Former ISI spymaster denies links to Taliban, 27 July 2010
Pakistan aids insurgency in Afghanistan: Leaked reports, 26 July 2010
Pakistan efforts to broker Afghan-Haqqani peace "undermine US interests", 25 June 2010
Afghan Taliban deny links to ISI, 16 June 2010
ISI trains, funds, and supplies Taliban: Report, 14 June 2010

Pakistan Aids Insurgency in Afghanistan: Leaked Reports

Pakistan Aids Insurgency in Afghanistan, Reports Assert, The New York Times, 26 July 2010

EXCERPT: "Americans fighting the war in Afghanistan have long harbored strong suspicions that Pakistan’s military spy service has guided the Afghan insurgency with a hidden hand, even as Pakistan receives more than $1 billion a year from Washington for its help combating the militants, according to a trove of secret military field reports made public Sunday. The documents, made available by an organization called WikiLeaks, suggest that Pakistan, an ostensible ally of the United States, allows representatives of its spy service to meet directly with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organize networks of militant groups that fight against American soldiers in Afghanistan, and even hatch plots to assassinate Afghan leaders. Taken together, the reports indicate that American soldiers on the ground are inundated with accounts of a network of Pakistani assets and collaborators that runs from the Pakistani tribal belt along the Afghan border, through southern Afghanistan, and all the way to the capital, Kabul. Much of the information — raw intelligence and threat assessments gathered from the field in Afghanistan— cannot be verified and likely comes from sources aligned with Afghan intelligence, which considers Pakistan an enemy, and paid informants. Some describe plots for attacks that do not appear to have taken place"

Read the full story.

Related articles:
US lawmaker says leaks paint 'outdated' Pakistan picture, DAWN, 26 July 2010
ISI denounces US intelligence reports, DAWN, 26 July 2010
US says Wikileaks could "threaten national security", BBC News, 26 July 2010
What is Wikileaks?, BBC News, 25 July 2010
WikiLeaks works to expose government secrets, but Web site's sources are a mystery, The Washington Post, 19 May 2010

Related resources:
The Afghan War Diary, WikiLeaks, 25 July 2010

Related posts:
Pakistan in the danger zone: A tenuous US-Pakistan relationship, 29 June 2010
Negotiating with the Taliban: Issues and prospects, 28 June 2010
ISI trains, funds, and supplies Taliban: Report, 14 June 2010
US praises Pakistan's "excellent cooperation"; Security pledge made, 19 May 2010
NATO, Pakistan to pursue closer relations, February 4 2010

Pakistan, NATO Strengthen Political Framework

Pakistan, Nato to Strengthen Political Framework, DAWN, 21 July 2010

EXCERPT: "Pakistan and Nato on Wednesday agreed to initiate work on strengthening the political framework besides their ongoing military to military cooperation. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Secretary-General of Nato Anders Fogh Rasmussen at a joint press conference following a round of talks vowed to further expand their political cooperation. Qureshi said Pakistan and Nato will continue to work as close partners for the stability of the region and to achieve shared objectives. 'Pakistan and Nato enjoy an important relationship and intend to build upon it...it goes beyond Afghanistan,' he added. The Nato Secretary-General said the alliance sees Pakistan as an important player in the region and appreciates what it has done to achieve regional peace and stability. He commended Pakistan's operations in the tribal belt and its efforts to improve the overall security situation. He mentioned the tripartite arrangement with Nato and said it would encourage Pakistan to continue with it. He was also appreciative of the recently inked Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) and said 'it will promote peace and stability in the region and lead to economic development for mutual benefit of all countries of the region.'"

Read the full story.

Related articles:
NATO chief praises Pakistan's regional role, AlertNet, 21 July 2010
NATO not to leave Afghanistan prematurely: Secretary General, China View, 21 July 2010
Zardari hails NATO’s intended support for training counter-terrorism units, Associated Press of Pakistan [government operated], 21 July 2010

Related posts:
EU, NATO seek better ties with Pakistan, 4 June 2010
US praises Pakistan's "excellent cooperation"; security pledge made, 19 May 2010
Mobilizing NATO for Afghanistan and Pakistan, 23 February 2010
NATO, Pakistan pursue closer relations, 4 February 2010
Prioritize Pakistan: NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 27 November 2009

Petraeus Praises Counter-terror Efforts

Petraeus Praises Pakistan in Surprise Visit, The Associated Press, 12 July 2010

EXCERPT: "U.S. Gen. David Petraeus lauded Pakistan's efforts at battling Islamist militants Monday during his first visit here since taking over as top NATO commander in neighboring Afghanistan this month. But he avoided public mention of the complicated tug of war between the two countries over the presence in Pakistan's border regions of militants launching attacks against NATO troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan is embroiled in military operations against Pakistani Taliban fighters in its volatile northwest. One of Petraeus's main challenges as NATO commander will be to try to persuade its leaders to also turn their sights toward Afghan Taliban based in Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal areas. [...]  'Recent events demonstrate both the common threat posed to Pakistan and Afghanistan by insurgents and the efforts that the Pakistan military are making to counter this threat,' Petraeus said in a statement after meeting with Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. 'I look forward to continuing to work with General Kayani to identify areas of mutual interest and to cooperate in efforts that can help improve regional security,' he said. [...] Pakistan has so far resisted U.S. pressure to act against Afghan Taliban. Analysts say Pakistan's military believes the Taliban could be useful allies in Afghanistan once international forces withdraw."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Kayani meets Petraeus: Pak to be taken on board on any policy on Afghanistan, The Nation, 12 July 2010
Lashkar main Taliban ally in Afghanistan: US forces, Times of India, 12 July 2010
US wants Pak military action against Haqqani network in North Waziristan, Sify News, 12 July 2010
US military begins to link Afghan Taliban to Pakistani terror groups [blog], The Long War Journal, 11 July 2010

Related posts:
Pakistan "essential" in Afghan reconciliation process: Petraeus, 29 June 2010
Pakistan efforts to broker Afghan-Haqqani peace "undermine US interests", 25 June 2010
US praises Pakistan's "excellent cooperation"; security pledge made, 19 May 2010
Pakistan seeks to broker Afghan deal, 16 June 2010
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran promise increased regional cooperation, 19 January 2010

TTP Warn Drivers against Carrying NATO Supplies

Pakistani Taliban Warn Drivers Against Carrying NATO Supplies, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 23 June 2010

EXCERPT: "Taliban in Pakistan's Khyber tribal agency have warned truck drivers against carrying supplies for the U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal reports. The warnings were contained in posters stuck on the walls of several markets late on June 21. The markets are located on the road passing through the Khyber tribal agency to Afghanistan. The posters warn drivers and truck owners not to ship oil, food, or military materiel to the 'foreign troops,' locals said. 'Truck and tanker drivers or people carrying goods and fuel for NATO forces in Afghanistan or those guarding the freight terminals meant for NATO goods will be targeted,' they read. Truck drivers told Radio Mashaal they feel vulnerable after the latest Taliban warning. They said the government should adopt measures to improve security along the road."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
NATO convoys a soft target in Pakistan, GlobalPost, 18 June 2010
McChrystal talks NATO supplies in Pakistan, UPI, 14 June 2010
Pak security agencies not responsible for safety of Nato supply line: Rehman, Online International News Network, 13 June 2010
Fearful NATO supply truckers curse their jobs, AFP, 10 June 2010

Related posts:
Militants destroy 50 NATO supply trucks, kill at least 7, 9 June 2010
NATO tankers, police attacked as Taliban fight back, 26 April 2010
NATO Afghan convoy attacked in Karachi, 28 January 2010
NATO supply routes in Pakistan under threat, 13 November 2009

Militants Destroy 50 NATO Supply Trucks, Kill At Least 7

Attacks Leave 11 Dead in Pakistan, Afghanistan, VOA News, 9 June 2010

EXCERPT: "Insurgent attacks have killed at least 18 international troops in Afghanistan since Monday. Meanwhile, authorities in neighboring Pakistan are searching for at least a dozen suspected militants who attacked and destroyed more than 50 trucks transporting supplies to NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan.  Police say the attack left at least seven people dead, mostly drivers. Top Pakistani officials allege private contractors were transporting fuel and other supplies to NATO forces without proper security and knowledge of the authorities. Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik told VOA the incident is under investigation and the government has ordered a review of the strategy for the movement of convoys carrying supplies for the NATO forces. 'I think NATO force must have their security tools in place because as per my understanding all these goods, which go to Afghanistan via Pakistan, the security rests with the private contractors of the NATO and I hope that is taken care of,' said Malik. 'However, we will be suggesting our own measures, which need to be taken and once the recommendations come we will share it with NATO as to how to make more safe supply of goods to the NATO forces.'"

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Punjabi Taliban claims responsibility for NATO convoy attack in Pakistan, China View, 9 June 2010
Attack on military convoy in Orakzai, The Times of India, 9 June 2010
In pictures: NATO convoy attacked, BBC News, 9 June 2010
Punjab govt to close down NATO terminals over security, Daily Times, 4 June 2010

Related posts:
NATO tankers, police attacked as Taliban fight back, 26 April 2010
NATO Afghan convoy attacked in Karachi, 28 January 2010
NATO supply routes in Pakistan under threat, 13 November 2009

EU, NATO Seek Better Ties with Pakistan

EU Promises Pakistan Cooperation, but Free Trade to Wait, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 4 June 2010

EXCERPT: "Pakistan and the European Union have promised to step up cooperation in areas ranging from security to energy during a summit in Brussels. But Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani failed to make noticeable headway on Pakistan's chief aim - securing free trade with the bloc. [...] 'Developments in Pakistan have a direct influence on Europe and in the whole world. Therefore it is in our own interest to be constructively engaged with Pakistan,' noted the summit's host, Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the Council of the European Union. Van Rompuy also observed that the EU is home to roughly a million people of Pakistani origin. [...] The EU today also said it would contribute 69 million euros ($83 million) to the Malakand Fund for the rehabilitation of conflict areas. [...] Although the EU and Pakistan also discussed security cooperation, the bloc's contribution remains limited to civilian matters - training law enforcement officials, assisting in criminal justice reforms, and contributing to 'counter-radicalization' measures. [...] Also in Brussels, at NATO headquarters, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen assured the Pakistani leader there would be no precipitate withdrawal from Afghanistan. 'I have stressed to the prime minister, and through him to the Pakistani people, NATO will stay in Afghanistan as long as it takes to finish our job, there should be no misunderstanding about that,' Rasmussen said."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
NATO leader says alliance stands ready to assist Pakistan, ChinaView, 4 June 2010
NATO, Pakistan seek to boost non-military ties, AFP, 4 June 2010
Sarkozy queried over Pakistan arms cash, BBC News, 4 June 2010
Spain, Pakistan pledge to fight against terrorism, AFP, 2 June 2010

Related posts:
Mobilizing NATO for Afghanistan and Pakistan, 23 February 2010
NATO, Pakistan pursue closer relations, 4 February 2010
NATO Afghan convoy attacked in Karachi, 28 January 2010
European Union aid to Pakistan: Steadily on the rise, 15 December 2009
EU plans to strengthen action in Afghanistan and Pakistan, 27 October 2009
Prioritize Pakistan: NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 27 November 2009

NATO Blamed for Taliban's Escape

Pakistan Military Officials Claim NATO Forces Failed to Capture Taliban, Telegraph, 15 April 2010

EXCERPT: "An estimated 700 Taliban fighters are reported to have fled across Pakistan's troubled North West frontier with Afghanistan in recent weeks following the recent military offensive by Pakistan's Armed Forces against Islamist militants. But senior Pakistani officers who commanded the offensive, which has seen the government regain control of the lawless tribal territories, blame Nato for allowing the remnants of the Taliban force to escape into Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. [...] 'We informed Nato that Taliban fighters were entering territory which is supposed to be under their control, but they have not acted. It is very frustrating.' Col Saeed said the Pakistani authorities had intelligence that a large contingent of Taliban fighters were being protected by local Afghan sympathisers at a camp in Kunar, and were even being provided with guns and ammunition. Col Saeed was speaking as Nato officials in Kabul announced they had withdrawn American troops from the strategically important Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan because they were deemed to have become 'an irritant" to local people'. [...] At least 150 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and another 650 injured in Operation Sherdil, or 'lionheart', in the military offensive launched to drive the Taliban out of northern Pakistan after Islamist militants seized control of territory close to the Pakistani capital Islamabad. An estimated 2,400 Taliban fighters have been killed in the offensive, about 750 surrendered while another 700 have fled across the border."

Read the full story.

Related articles:
Difficult task in former Pakistan Taliban bastion, BBC News, 15 April 2010
Afghanistan war: US leaves remote outpost of Korengal, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 April 2010
29 Bajaur elders arrested for alleged non-cooperation, The News International, 15 April 2010
In Bajaur, Pakistan says US needs to do more, AlertNet, 14 April 2010

Related posts:
US special ops aiding Pakistan's "hold and build" operations, 13 April 2010
ISI freed senior Taliban figures: US officials, 12 April 2010
Pakistan alleges Afghans are releasing Taliban fighters, 1 April 2010
Army captures key militant hideout, 2 March 2010
Taliban "routed" in raids on border camps, 1 March 2010
Taliban exploit porous Afghanistan-Pakistan border, 5 February 2010
Army attacks militant hideout on Afghan border in N. Waziristan, 22 January 2010

Mobilizing NATO for Afghanistan and Pakistan

Mobilizing NATO for Afghanistan and Pakistan: An Assessment of Alliance Capabilities, Center for the Study of Presidency and Congress, 26 January 2010

EXCERPT: "The NATO-led ISAF effort must fully embrace a broader Af-Pak mission. While NATO cannot send troops to Pakistan, the twenty-eight members of the Alliance and the other fifteen non-NATO members of ISAF should coordinate their military and civilian aid to Pakistan to boost Pakistani efforts to combat extremists. Additionally, NATO must ensure that ISAF sustain its outreach with the Pakistani military via the Tripartite Commission and its subordinate functional committees... Although Pakistan most likely constitutes the greater strategic issue both globally and regionally, NATO has focused almost exclusively on Afghanistan, despite the fact that the Taliban and al-Qaeda leadership are based in Pakistan, where they are in close proximity to nuclear weapons. While the North Atlantic Council has encouraged the Secretary General to establish greater dialogue with Pakistan and has endorsed ISAF tactical and operational exchanges of information and intelligence to ensure greater situational awareness and force protection for ISAF forces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, NATO has not yet fully embraced the interconnectivity of the Af-Pak mission. The North Atlantic Council has granted few incentives to encourage the Pakistanis to engage with NATO. NATO has offered the Pakistan military only some military schooling and exercise observation and participation."

Read the full report [pdf]. Pakistan is discussed on page 23.

Related articles:
NATO looks forward to deepening cooperation with Pakistan, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 17 February 2010
Pakistan, Afghanistan, ISAF work side-by-side at Khyber Border Coordination Center, Combined Joint Task Force - 82, 27 May 2009
NATO chief's aide discusses what "greater engagement" with Pakistan means, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 13 March 2009
NATO says cooperation with Pakistan "best ever", Reuters, 23 November 2008

Related reports:
The dynamics of the "AfPak" conflict: Metrics and Status Report, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 1 July 2009

Related posts:
NATO, Pakistan pursue closer relations, 4 February 2010
NATO Afghan convoy attacked in Karachi, 28 January 2010
Prioritize Pakistan: NATO Parliamentary Assembly, 27 November 2009
NATO supply routes in Pakistan under threat, 13 November 2009

Karachi and Af-Pak Policy Options

Karachi and Af-Pak Policy Options, South Asia Analysis Group, 7 February 2010

EXCERPT: "Pakistani leaders often project Jammu & Kashmir as Pakistan’s jugular vein in justification of their supporting jihadi terrorist groups against India in an attempt to change the status quo in J&K. It is not. Karachi is Pakistan’s jugular vein. It is the economic capital of Pakistan contributing a substantial part of Pakistan’s industrial production and tax revenue. It has Pakistan’s only functioning international port... It is still Pakistan’s most important naval base. Gwadar is being developed as an alternate naval base to reduce the vulnerability of the Pakistan Navy in Karachi, but it is estimated that it will take another five to eight years before Gwadar as a naval base starts functioning in a satisfactory manner... The renewed wave of violence in Karachi in recent weeks is not due to the ingress of the TTP into the city. It is due to two of the three old animosities, which have always made Karachi the most violent city of Pakistan. These three animosities are: the Mohajirs vs. the Sindhis, the Mohajirs vs. the Pashtuns, and the Punjabi Sunnis vs. the Mohajir Shias."

Read the full article.

Related articles:
Sectarian violence posing threat to Pakistani society, One World South Asia, 8 February 2010
Saving Pakistan's heartland, Foreign Policy, 8 February 2010
Taliban own Karachi Ashura carnage, DAWN, 31 December 2009
Q and A: Is Karachi the new target for Pakistani's Taliban?, Reuters, 31 December 2009
Are Pakistani Taliban finding new foothold in south?, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 May 2009

Related posts:
Karachi grinds to a halt amidst fatal attacks, political turmoil, 8 February 2010
Karachi bomb blasts kill Shiite worshipers, 5 February 2010
NATO Afghan convoy attacked in Karachi, 28 January 2010
Targeted killings, ethnic violence plague Karachi, 25 January 2010
Karachi seen as key to Pakistan's future, 22 January 2010