US Afghan Surge Angers Pakistan

Attack on Haqqani network expected

(NEWSER) - Large numbers of American and Afghan troops have gathered near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan and a crackdown on the Taliban-allied Haqqani militant network is widely expected. The group—which operates on both sides of the border—has been responsible for many attacks on coalition forces, and while military sources say the plan is to force Haqqani fighters over the border into Afghanistan where they can be "encircled, arrested, or killed," it's not clear whether Pakistan's military is supporting the operation, the Telegraph reports. More»

And insists it didn't assassinate peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani

(NEWSER) - The Haqqani network has no ties to Pakistan’s ISI and isn’t responsible for the assassination of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani , Siraj Haqqani tells the BBC . Siraj is the son of Haqqani network founder and namesake Jalaluddin Haqqani, and is a major leader within the group. “We’ve had contacts with many countries’ intelligence services,” he said, "but none to our benefit." He said the US was trying to tie the group to the ISI to "confuse people's minds." More»

Troop withdrawal could lead to instability, some fear

(NEWSER) - Political leaders in Afghanistan are concerned that President Obama's decision to start withdrawing US forces could lead to a repeat of the US withdrawal in 1989, when Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence was allowed to gain major influence. "We don't want to go back 20 years when [ISI was] making the decisions about Afghanistan," one mayor tells the Wall Street Journal . Adding to the concern is the fact that billions of dollars in aid cuts will likely accompany the withdrawal, Reuters reports. For his part, Afghan President Hamid Karzai appeared supportive of Obama's speech. More»

Forces controlled from Pakistan respond nimbly

(NEWSER) - The Afghan Taliban leadership operating out of Pakistan has surprised the US military by countering its offensive in southern Afghanistan with a shrewd expansion into the north and west of the country. “They’ve outmaneuvered us time and time again,” an intelligence official tells the New York Times. “The Taliban is trying to create trouble elsewhere to alleviate pressure” caused by the southern offensive, the official says. More»

(NEWSER) - George Will’s call today to pull US troops out of Afghanistan is tantamount to “urging retreat and accepting defeat,” fellow conservative William Kristol blogs in the Washington Post. Will’s idea to focus mostly on offshore operations and airstrikes "doesn't sound much more engaged than US Afghan policy in the 1990s,” Kristol writes. “Will would have to explain why it would work better this time.” More»