Pakistan's double game

AP/Houston Chronicle:

Pakistani intelligence agents and paramilitary forces have helped train Taliban insurgents and have given them information about American troop movements in Afghanistan, said a report published Monday by a U.S. think tank.

The study by the RAND Corp. also warned that the U.S. will face "crippling long-term consequences" in Afghanistan if Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan are not eliminated.

It echoes recent statements by American generals, who have increased their warnings that militant safe havens in Pakistan are threatening efforts in Afghanistan. The study was funded by the U.S. Defense Department.

"Every successful insurgency in Afghanistan since 1979 enjoyed safe haven in neighboring countries, and the current insurgency is no different," said the report's author, Seth Jones. "Right now, the Taliban and other groups are getting help from individuals within Pakistan's government, and until that ends, the region's long-term security is in jeopardy."

The study, titled "Counter-insurgency in Afghanistan," found some active and former officials in Pakistan's intelligence service and the Frontier Corps — a Pakistani paramilitary force deployed along the Afghan border — provided direct assistance to Taliban militants and helped secure medical care for wounded fighters.

It said NATO officials have uncovered several instances of Pakistani intelligence agents providing information to Taliban fighters, even "tipping off Taliban forces about the location and movement of Afghan and coalition forces, which undermined several U.S. and NATO anti-Taliban military operations." No timeframes were given.

The report said Pakistan's intelligence service and other government agencies provided Taliban and other insurgents with training at camps in Pakistan, as well as intelligence, financial assistance and help crossing the border.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pleaded with the world community to address the issue of militant sanctuaries in Pakistan.

After battles or attacks in Afghanistan, militants flow back into Pakistan to rest and rearm, officials say.

Pakistan — which supported the Taliban regime in Afghani-stan before the 9/11 attacks — denied it is supporting the insurgents but acknowledged the problem of militant infiltration.

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Pakistan permits both sides to use it territory. The US uses airbases for launching Predator drones to attack Taliban and al Qaeda leaders. Most logistics come through Pakistan ports and are carried by truck through Pakistan to Afghanistan. That is why going to war with Pakistan over its double game with the Taliban would require some difficult decisions. It would not just mean inserting counterinsurgency forces in the tribal areas, but also forces to secure the ports and main supply routes into Afghanistan.

The Bush administration has been attempting to get the Pakistan army to train for counterinsurgency operations and was making progress before the recent elections. The new government is trying for a political solution in the tribal areas which they hope will paper over a problem that is not going away. Pakistan has also received considerable money from the US for its cooperation in the war in Afghanistan. We are not getting our money's worth at this point.