Islamabad
15 June 2008
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has threatened to send troops intoneighboring Pakistan to fight militants that have been launchingcross-border attacks in his country. Ayaz Gul reports from Islamabadthe two allies in the U.S-led war against terrorism accuse eachother of not doing enough to discourage militant activity.
AfghanistanPresident Hamid Karzai issued the forceful warning to the militants andto the Pakistani government at a news conference in Kabul. He says hiscountry is ready to seek out militant leaders wherever they are.
TheAfghan president specifically named Baitullah Mehsud, anal-Qaida-linked self-proclaimed Pakistani Taliban leader who is basedin the South Waziristan border region . Mehsud and leaders of otherextremist groups in Pakistan have in recent weeks vowed to sendfighters across the border to help Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.
Mr.Karzai says the fact that Pakistani militants cross into his countrygives Afghanistan the right to retaliate and destroy their hideoutsacross the border.
"This means that Afghanistan has the rightof self defense," Mr. Karzai said. "When they cross the territory fromPakistan to come and kill Afghans and kill coalition troops it exactlygives us the right to go back and do the same. Therefore, BaitullahMehsud should know that we will go after him now and hit him in house. And we will get them and we will defeat them and we will avenge allthat they have done in Afghanistan in the past so many years."
PakistaniPrime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is reported as saying the borderbetween Afghanistan and Pakistan is too long to prevent people fromcrossing, even if his country deploys its entire army there. TheAssociated Press quotes him as saying that Pakistan does not interferein anyone else's matters, and it will not allow anyone to interfere inPakistan's territorial limits.
Afghan President Karzai'swarning came two days after Taliban militants attacked a central jailin the southern city of Kandahar, freeing hundreds of suspected Talibanmilitants.
Last week, Pakistani officials said a U.S airstrike destroyed one of their border security posts, killing 11soldiers. The Pakistani government condemned the attack as an"unprovoked and cowardly" act and demanded a full investigation intothe incident. The United States says its air strike was targetingmilitants in the area and Pakistan had been informed of the impendingstrike.
The new Pakistani government has recently launched apeace process in its tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to seek peacedeals with militants, including Baitullah Mehsud.
U.S andAfghan officials have criticized the deals, saying they will helpmilitants regroup to increase cross-border attacks. But Pakistan saysit is negotiating with only those militants who are willing to give uptheir arms.