Pak talks with terrorist collapse

Washington Times:

Pakistan's peace talks with the militant leader who is thought to have planned the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto have reportedly collapsed, just weeks after the new government said it was close to a deal.

Baitullah Mehsud, a leader in the South Waziristan tribal zone, discontinued talks because the new Pakistani government refused to withdraw its troops from territory that was under his control before a midwinter military offensive, a purported spokesman said.

"The government was not serious in its talks and did not meet the ... demand for the withdrawal of army troops" from the Mehsud areas of South Waziristan, said Maulvi Omar, who claims to be Mr. Mehsud's official spokesman.

Mr. Omar said the talks could resume if government troops start to withdraw.

Mr. Mehsud leads Pakistan's Taliban movement and is close to al Qaeda and fugitive Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.

...

The chances are remote that Mehsud was ever bargaining in good faith. He may have hoped that the new government would have no demands in return for leaving the area, but they were never realistic hopes. His ambitions are fundamentally at odds with Pakistan sovereignty. That is an area where the chances of compromise is remote.