Taliban moving from Pakistan-Afghanistan border to Africa

Evidence is reportedly growing that Taliban are filtering out of havens along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and into East Africa, bringing sophisticated terror tactics including suicide attacks. The shift, according to US military and counter-terrorism officials, fuels worries that Somalia is on a path to become the next Afghanistan, a sanctuary where Al Qaeda-linked groups could train and plan their attacks against the West. So far, officials said the number of foreign fighters who had moved from southwest Asia and the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region to the Horn of Africa was two to three dozen. “There is a level of activity that is troubling, disturbing,” US Gen William “Kip” Ward, head of US Africa Command, told AP, adding that American officials already were seeing extremist factions in East Africa sharing information and techniques.

56 percent people in FATA see Afghan Taliban as ‘heroes’, reveals survey

A survey conducted by Community Appraisal and Motivation Programme (CAMP) with the help of the British High Commission in Islamabad reports that 56 percent respondents described Afghanistan’s Taliban as “Islamic heroes fighting western occupation”. A paltry 12.1 percent called them “a terrorist group”. More than 54 percent respondents said they were “dissatisfied with life” in FATA in general. The number of satisfied people stood at 18.15 percent, according to the survey, and 17.5 percent said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Some 73.25 percent tribesmen referred to provision of justice as “the most important service” that the Government should provide in their areas followed by 64.6 percent voting for education, 52.1 percent for health and 47 percent for tackling terrorism. Just 2.95 percent respondents referred to the United States as a “very favourable” country, compared with 66.2 percent who called it “very unfavourable”.

Taliban shave heads of men for listening to music in Buner

The Taliban in Buner District shaved the heads and moustaches of four men as ‘punishment for listening to music’, said one of the victims on April 26, according to Daily Times. “I was with three other friends in my car, listening to music when armed Taliban stopped us and, after smashing cassettes and the cassette player, they shaved half our heads and moustaches,” he said. “The Taliban also beat us up and asked us not to listen to music ever again,” said the man. The local Police, however, said they had no information of the incident. The victim said the friends had decided not to file a complaint with Police, as this would have been ‘useless’. “It might have annoyed the Taliban further and I fear for my life,” said the man. Residents of Mingora in Swat said Taliban posters had been put up in streets and markets ordering women not to go shopping.

Situation dangerous in Pakistan, says US special envoy Richard Holbrooke

The US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, warned on April 19 that no other place in the world today faced a more dangerous situation than Pakistan,. In an interview to CNN, Holbrooke said Pakistan also faced a "very difficult economic situation" and needed immediate help. "This is a really dangerous situation in Pakistan today and we are focussed on this very heavily," said Holbrooke. Asked if the terrorist threat could cause Pakistan to collapse, the US envoy said that President Asif Ali Zardari and other Pakistani leaders too conceded that it was a very dangerous situation. "Swat is not in the tribal areas. It is only 100 miles from Islamabad … it is like East Hampton and Manhattan … people from Islamabad went to Swat for holidays … it is really an extraordinary situation." Ambassador Holbrooke termed the current situation in Pakistan as ‘very perilous’ and claimed that the militants operating from Swat and FATA had already increased their reach to Punjab. "There can be more terrorist attacks in cities like Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi," he warned.
He opined the Swat truce always seemed like a confused deal to him. The Pakistani military, he said, felt that it was ‘stretched thin’ and that’s why it concluded this deal. Holbrooke pointed out that if the Pakistani military wanted to persuade the militants to lay down their arms by concluding this deal, it did not succeed in doing so. The chief spokesman for the Swat Taliban "publicly renounced the part of the deal that requires the militants to lay down arms", he said, adding "You cannot deal with these people by giving away territory. They are now getting closer and closer to Islamabad and Punjab."

1,395 persons killed in 1842 terrorist attacks from January 2008 to March 2009

The National Assembly was informed on April 17 that there were 1,842 terrorist attacks from January 2008 to March 2009 that killed at least 1,395 people, Daily Times reported. Replying to two identical questions by Members of National Assembly Marvi Memon and Nighat Parveen, the Interior Ministry told the Lower House that Balochistan was the worst-hit by terrorism – with a total of 1,122 terrorist attacks that killed 436 people, followed by NWFP with 692 attacks that killed 732 people, Punjab with 12 attacks that killed 119 people, Sindh with nine attacks that killed 21 people and Islamabad with seven attacks that killed 87 people.
The ministry provided estimated losses to private properties, but said that losses to public properties, possibly amounted to billions of rupees, had not been calculated yet. The ministry estimated that losses in NWFP amounted to PKR 2,680 million, PKR 25 million in Balochistan and PKR 5 million in Sindh. The ministry also said the loss of property and vehicles in the terrorist attack on the embassy of Denmark amounted to PKR 12.121 million. The ministry told the House that in Balochistan, compensation cheques handed out to families of Police amounted to PKR 99.5 million, while civilian victims of terrorism had been compensated with PKR 40 million. The administration of Islamabad had paid PKR 27.95 million as compensation, Punjab Government PKR 102.92 million, while another PKR 4.45 million had been sanctioned for disbursement to remaining victims in the province, the House was told. The Sindh Government paid PKR 0.67 million to victims of bomb blasts and eight other cases of compensation were being processed. In NWFP, PKR 99.5 million has been paid as compensation to affected Policemen and PKR 40 million to civilians.
Replying to a supplementary question, Mujtaba Kharral said no inquiry report had been submitted to Parliament, but promised that the Government would soon table inquiry reports on all incidents. Replying to a question by Begum Nuzhat Sadiq, the Interior Ministry told the House that 6,007 illegal foreigners were imprisoned in Pakistan during 2008-09. Of these foreigners, 5,087 are in Balochistan, 678 in Sindh, 80 in NWFP and 162 in Punjab. The ministry said that 162 female foreigners with illegal documents had been arrested over the last three years – 143 in Sindh, 3 in NWFP, 10 in Balochistan and 6 in Punjab.

Nizam-e-Adl will be reviewed if peace is not restored in Swat, says President Zardari

The Government may review the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation 2009 if peace is not restored in Swat, President Asif Ali Zardari said on April 15, according to Daily Times. Addressing the Pakistani community in Tokyo, he said the Nizam-e-Adl, and not Sharia (Islamic law), had been imposed in Malakand Division, a private TV channel reported. The President was in Japan to attend the Friends of Democratic Pakistan ministerial meeting and a donors’ conference.
Meanwhile, the NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation on April 15, formally enforcing Sharia in Malakand Division and Kohistan District. “Today, it is an historic day,” he told reporters in provincial capital Peshawar after signing the law two days after President Asif Ali Zardari approved it following a nod from the National Assembly.

Taliban After deal with Pakistan: We will send Mujahideen to Afghanistan

The Taliban will not lay down their arms in NWFP as part of the peace deal that included the introduction of Sharia (Islamic law) but will take their “struggle” to new areas, a spokesman of the group said on April 15, Dawn reported. “Sharia doesn’t permit us to lay down arms… If a government, either in Pakistan or Afghanistan, continues anti-Muslim policies, it’s out of the question that Taliban lay down their arms,” Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said by telephone. “When we achieve our goal at one place, there are other areas where we need to struggle for it,” he said. Khan also said militants would go to Afghanistan to fight US-led forces if the Afghan Taliban called for help. “Our struggle is for a cause and that’s to enforce Allah’s rule on Allah’s land. We will send mujahideen to Afghanistan if they demand them,” he said.

What’s the fact on Shiite Law in Afghanistan?

about 1,000 Afghans swarmed a demonstration of 300 women protesting against a new conservative marriage law on Wednesday. The women were pelted with small stones as police struggled to keep the two groups apart.
The law, passed last month, says a husband can demand sex with his wife every four days unless she is ill or would be harmed by intercourse — a clause that critics say legalizes marital rape. It also regulates when and for what reasons a wife may leave her home alone.
Women's rights activists scheduled a protest Wednesday attended by mostly young women. But the group was swamped by counter-protesters — both men and women — who shouted down the women's chants.
Some picked up gravel and stones and threw them at the women, while others shouted “Death to the slaves of the Christians!” Female police held hands around the group to create a protective barrier.
The government of President Hamid Karzai has said the Shiite family law is being reviewed by the Justice Department and will not be implemented in its current form. Governments and rights groups around the world have condemned the legislation, and U.S. President Barack Obama has labelled it “abhorrent.”
Though the law would apply only to the country's Shiites — 10 to 20 per cent of Afghanistan's 30 million people.
What the Shiite leaders are saying?
The Shiite leaders in Afghanistan are says that its not mentioned in their law that a husband can demand sex with his wife every four days unless she is ill or would be harmed by intercourse . But they emphasising that a husband only can sleep in a bed with his wife every four days. Shiite leaders saying that it has quite different meaning when your sleeping with your wife at least every four days with the meaning of you have sex with her in every four days.
It’s the first time that the Shiite minority in Afghanistan with using of the democracy atmosphere passed such kind of law.
What’s the fact?
The mean fact is that Islamic laws has some big different with the democracy and human rights issues which is mostly a westerns culture.
The mean paradox is linked with Afghanistan constitution. Afghan constitution emphasize that no law which is against Islamic rules can be legally in Afghanistan but in this constitution it emphasize that Afghanistan is accepting the human rights issues and other international laws a conventions.

Taliban announces enforcement of Sharia in Bajaur Agency

The Taliban on April 10 announced the enforcement of Sharia (Islamic law) in the Bajaur Agency of FATA and stopped women from going outside without male relatives, banned shaving of beard and warned the people against availing assistance from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), The News reported. The announcement was made by Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, Taliban chief in the agency, in his 40-minute speech delivered through his group’s illegal FM radio channel. Faqir, who is deputy leader of the Baitullah Mehsud-led Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), addressed the tribesmen on the FM radio on weekly basis. He said he and his men would spare no efforts to strictly implement the Islamic laws in the region.
In this regard, the Taliban has reportedly prepared a special armed force named “Action Group” to ensure the enforcement of Sharia and punish the violators. Faqir said shaving of beards and walking of men without having cap on their heads were practices of the Jews and their followers, which, he warned, the Taliban would not allow in Bajaur. Faqir said he would not allow the BISP to operate and “mislead” simple women of the tribal region. He said work on preparation of lists of people supporting the BISP and other NGOs had already been initiated. Faqir threatened that the Action Group would soon produce such people before their Sharia Court. In addition, he strictly warned women against coming out of their homes and acquiring Computerised National Identity Cards, which is reportedly mandatory for getting monetary benefits from the BISP. The militant commander said if the people were found guilty of supporting the BISP or getting its monetary benefits, the violators would be punished according to Sharia in which minimum fine would not be less than PKR 10,000.
He admitted the Taliban had arrested over a dozen people, reportedly belonging to Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s JUI-F and the PPP, who would be dealt with according to Sharia.
Meanwhile, the Taliban dumped the beheaded body of Muhammad Islam Khan, a senior leader of the Awami National Party in Bajaur, in the agency’s Ghundo area. He was abducted on his way home on April 9.

TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad leaves Swat in protest against delay in implementation of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation

Maulana Sufi Muhammad, the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) chief, concluded his “peace camp” in Swat on April 9, in protest against the delay in the implementation of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, according to Daily Times. “But the peace deal with the provincial government is intact,” Sufi Muhammad told a press conference in Mingora before moving out of the District. “If something unpleasant happens after our peace camp has been wrapped up, President Asif Zardari will be held responsible,” Sufi read a written statement in Pushto. He alleged the federal Government was not sincere. TNSM spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said Sufi Muhammad left for Amandara town in Malakand where he will chair a shura (utive council) meeting. “The ball is now in the president’s court,” he told Daily Times. However, the Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed said the federal Government would sign the regulation soon.
Meanwhile, one unidentified militant was killed by the Security Forces when a group of Taliban militants attempted to loot the house of a former District official in village Qalagai, The News reported. A group of armed militants raided the house of Ajmeer and loaded the valuable household items in their vehicles, besides taking four people with them. However, soon after the raid of the Taliban, the SFs arrived and opened fire on the Taliban convoy.
In addition, the Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said peace in the country is only possible through the imposition of Sharia (Islamic law). Talking to Daily Times, he joined Sufi Muhammad in condemning the president for not signing the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation. “We support Sufi Muhammad’s stance against the federal government… If clashes between Taliban and the security forces resume, the president will be responsible,” he said.
Elsewhere in the province, the Taliban agreed to leave Buner District unconditionally after successful talks with a peace jirga (council of elders) in Mingora on April 9, Daily Times reported. Malakand Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed told a private TV channel the Taliban had agreed to leave Buner and would completely vacate the area by April 10 (today). He said the Taliban had made no demands for vacating the area. Earlier, the local jirga held talks with the Taliban under the supervision of the commissioner. Javed said Maulana Waliullah mediated between the jirga members and Taliban. A group of Swat Taliban had moved into Buner last week. However, local villagers resisted them, engaging the heavily armed militants and killing 20 of them.

US winning or losing the war in Afghanistan?

The top leadership of the Taliban is hiding in Balochistan province, Admiral Mike Mullen, the US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said, this while talking informally, along with Richard Holbrooke, the US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, to a group of invitees at US Ambassador Anne Patterson’s house in the US embassy in Islamabad on April 6. Asked if the US was winning or losing the war in Afghanistan, Admiral Mullen said that since the US was not winning, it could be said that it was losing it. Admiral Mullen also said that the US was targeting Baitullah Mehsud now because he had established strategic links with al Qaeda in the past year or so and was facilitating al Qaeda’s attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Suicide bombers are Pakistanis, says Interior Affairs Advisor

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior, Rehman Malik, has said that those involved in the suicide bombings are Pakistanis and that they are playing with the lives of innocent people for the sake of a few pennies, according to The News. Talking to the media after the suicide attack at Chakwal on April 5, he said that “the price of a suicide bomber is from Rs 0.5 million to Rs 1.5 million while the family of the bomber gets Rs 0.5 million”. He further said that Islamabad and Lahore were the worst affected cities due to the recent series of terrorist incidents.

Taliban attack NATO terminal in Peshawar and torch nine vehicles

Dozens of armed Taliban militants on April 3 stormed a NATO supplies container terminal in Peshawar, the NWFP capital, and torched nine vehicles and several offices, Police and locals said the terminal, located on the Ring Road in Pishtakhara Police station precincts, was attacked early in the morning, adding that the Taliban and Police exchanged heavy fire, but no casualties were reported. Police officials said there were more than 100 militants who participated in the raid. They said the Taliban also used rockets to target the Police party but failed to hit anyone.

Meanwhile, AFP reported the Taliban had destroyed nine vehicles parked at the terminal. The vehicles were bound for international forces in Afghanistan. "There were no casualties in the attack early Friday, but the fire destroyed nine NATO vehicles, including fire-fighting vans and 4x4 jeeps," local Police official Fazal Wahid Khan told AFP. Meanwhile, the Taliban militants on April 3 intruded into the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office in Swat, and barred those present in the building from working, a private TV channel reported. According to the channel, the armed militants intruded into the office in the morning and told the officials to stop routine operations. The group said it had stopped the officials from working because men and women were working in the same place. They demanded the NADRA authorities ensure that men and women work separately in the office.

US Senate approves $4bn increase in aid to Pakistan

The US Senate voted on April 1 to boost aid to Pakistan by $4 billion next year, according to Daily Times. As the US lawmakers continued work on a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year, Senator John Kerry, a Democrat, won adoption of a $4 billion increase next year in aid to Pakistan. Earlier, the Associated Press had reported that the Obama administration plans to seek as much as $3 billion over the next five years to train and equip Pakistan’s military and is considering sending 10,000 more troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda planning attack on US from Pakistan, says US President Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama said on April 1 that Al Qaeda was planning to attack the US mainland from Pakistani soil and added that the US would chase and defeat the terror organisation wherever it was present in the world. Addressing a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Obama said the US policy was clear for both Pakistan and Afghanistan, while Afghanistan would not be allowed to become a safe haven for a -Qaeda. In America, counter-terror officials are reportedly warning Police of a threat made by the Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud to attack the US. In response, federal authorities advised Police and other law enforcement officials that Mehsud’s threat was an aspiration rather than evidence of an imminent or specific threat against the United States. FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said Mehsud has made similar threats in the past and has no record of striking targets abroad, although he is suspected of being behind a 10-man cell arrested in Barcelona in January 2008 for plotting suicide attacks in Spain.

Clinton's Speech at the Conference on Afghanistan

Hillary Clinton
The Hague, Netherlands
Thank you very much, Minister Verhagen, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Special Representative Kai Eide, President Karzai, Minister Spanta, friends and colleagues, I want to thank all of you, and especially the United Nations and the Government of the Netherlands for hosting us. I also want to acknowledge the extraordinary contribution of the government and people of the Netherlands to the mission in Afghanistan.
And I want to also acknowledge President Karzai, who fills a critical leadership role in his nation, and whose government helped to shape the shared comprehensive and workable strategy that we are discussing today.
We are here to help the people of Afghanistan prevail against a ruthless enemy who poses a common threat to us all. Afghanistan has always been a crossroads of civilization, and today we find our fate converging in those plains and mountains that are so far and yet so near in this interconnected world to all of us.
Thanks to the efforts of the international community, the perpetrators of the horrific terrorist attacks of 9/11 - attacks which killed citizens from more than 90 countries - were driven from Afghanistan, and the Afghan people made a promising start toward a more secure future. But since those first hopeful moments, our collective inability to implement a clear and sustained strategy has allowed violent extremists to regain a foothold in Afghanistan and in Pakistan, and to make the area a nerve center for efforts to spread violence from London to Mumbai.
The range of countries and institutions represented here is a universal recognition that what happens in Afghanistan matters to us all. Our failure to bring peace and progress would be a setback not only to the people of Afghanistan, but to the entire enterprise of collective action in the interest of collective security. Our success, on the other hand, will not only benefit Afghanistan, Pakistan and the region, but also the blueprint for a new diplomacy powered by partnership and premised on shared interests.
So as we recommit ourselves to meet our common challenge with a new strategy, new energy, and new resources, let us be guided by an ancient Afghan proverb, "patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet."
The plan I outline today is the product of intensive consultations with nations that have donated troops and support; Afghanistan's neighbors and international institutions that play a vital role in Afghanistan's future. The results of these consultations are clear: Our strategy must address the challenge in Afghanistan and Pakistan; it must integrate military and civilian activities and support them with vigorous international diplomacy; and it must rest on the simple premise that while we can and will help, Afghanistan's future ultimately rests with the Afghan people and their elected government. Security is the essential first step; without it, all else fails. Afghanistan's army and police will have to take the lead, supported by the International Security Assistance Force.
President Obama has announced that the United States will deploy 17,000 more soldiers and 4,000 additional military trainers to help build up Afghan security forces. The international community will also have to help. We should provide every army and police unit in Afghanistan with an international partner that can provide training and help build capacity. Our collective goal should be standing up an army of at least 134,000 soldiers and a police force of at least 82,000 officers by 2011. These steps will provide the people of Afghanistan with an opportunity to fight and win their own battle for their nation's future.
We must also help Afghans strengthen their economy and institutions. They know how to rebuild their country, but they need the raw material of progress - roads, public institutions, schools, hospitals, irrigation, and agriculture. The United States is supporting the Government of Afghanistan's National Development Strategy, the National Solidarity Program, and other initiatives that help Afghans improve their lives and strengthen their own communities.
In consultation with the Afghan Government, we have also identified agriculture - which comprises 70 percent of Afghanistan's economy - as the key for development. In the 1970s, Afghans exported food to their neighbors. They were often called the garden of Central Asia. Today, this sector lags far behind, and its problems feed the deadly malignancy of the narcotics trade. The United States is focusing its efforts on rural development in provinces near the Afghan-Pakistan border, and we hope that others gathered here will heed the United Nations' and Afghan Government's call for help throughout the country with job creation, technical expertise, vocational training, and investments in roads, electrical transmission lines, education, healthcare, and so much else.
As we work with the Afghan people to supply these building blocks of development, we must demand accountability from ourselves and from the Afghan Government. Corruption is a cancer as dangerous to long-term success as the Taliban or al-Qaida. A government that cannot deliver accountable services for its people is a terrorist's best recruiting tool.
So we must work with bodies such as Afghanistan's Independent Directorate of Local Governance to ensure that the government at all levels is responsible and transparent. The international community, gathered here, can help by providing auditors and governance experts and training a new generation of civil servants and administrators.
To earn the trust of the Afghan people, the Afghan Government must be legitimate and respected. This requires a successful election in August - one that is open, free, and fair. That can only happen with strong support from the international community. I am, therefore, pleased to announce today that to advance that goal, the United States is committing $40 million to help fund Afghanistan's upcoming elections.
We must also support efforts by the Government of Afghanistan to separate the extremists of al-Qaida and the Taliban from those who joined their ranks not out of conviction, but out of desperation. This is, in fact, the case for a majority of those fighting with the Taliban. They should be offered an honorable form of reconciliation and reintegration into a peaceful society if they are willing to abandon violence, break with al-Qaida, and support the constitution.
Just as these problems cannot be solved without the Afghan people, they cannot be solved without the help of Afghanistan's neighbors. Trafficking in narcotics, the spread of violent extremism, economic stagnation, water management, electrification, and irrigation are regional challenges that require regional solutions.
The United Nations has a central role in this effort to coordinate with the Government of Afghanistan and neighbors in the region to make sure that programs are properly prioritized and well focused. We are committed to working with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Special Representative Kai Eide to achieve that goal. The United States Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, will lead American efforts as we move forward, and we welcome the appointment of special representatives by other countries.
If we are to succeed, we will need the help of all the nations present here. As President Obama has pointed out, "the world cannot afford the price that will come due if Afghanistan slides back into chaos." While there is great temptation to retreat inward in these difficult economic times, it is precisely at such moments that we must redouble our effort. And as we make commitments and contributions, we must ensure they are flexible enough to respond to immediate needs and evolving opportunities. And we all must be willing to coordinate those efforts together.
The challenge we face is difficult, but the opportunity is clear if we move away from the past. All too often in the past seven years, our efforts have been undermanned, under-resourced and underfunded. This goal is achievable. We know we have made progress where we have made adequate investment and worked together.
The status of Afghanistan's army, the lives of women and girls, the country's education and health systems are far better today than they were in 2001. So if all of us represented here work with the government and people of Afghanistan, we will help not only to secure their future, but ours as well.
Now the principal focus of our discussions today is on Afghanistan, but we cannot hope to succeed if those who seek to reestablish a haven for violence and extremism operate from sanctuaries just across the border. For this reason, our partnership with Pakistan is critical. Together, we all must give Pakistan the tools it needs to fight extremists within its borders.
The Obama Administration has made a strong commitment through our support for legislation called the Kerry-Lugar assistance program. And in a few weeks, we will have a chance to join together in Tokyo for a meeting of the Friends of Democratic Pakistan to provide the support that the Pakistani Government and people need. I urge the nations here today in support of Afghanistan to join us in Tokyo on April 17th to help the people of Pakistan.
This effort has already required great sacrifice and it will require more. But in Afghanistan and Pakistan, we face a common threat, a common enemy, and a common task. So let us use today, this conference, to renew and reinvigorate our commitment and our involvement, and to lay a firm foundation for a safer region and a safer world. It is in the interests of all of the people who we represent as we sit around this conference table here in The Hague, and for the kind of world that we wish to help create.
Thank you very much.

A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan

Barack Obama
Good morning. Today, I am announcing a comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This marks the conclusion of a careful policy review that I ordered as soon as I took office. My Administration has heard from our military commanders and diplomats. We have consulted with the Afghan and Pakistani governments; with our partners and NATO allies; and with other donors and international organizations. And we have also worked closely with members of Congress here at home. Now, I'd like to speak clearly and candidly to the American people.
The situation is increasingly perilous. It has been more than seven years since the Taliban was removed from power, yet war rages on, and insurgents control parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Attacks against our troops, our NATO allies, and the Afghan government have risen steadily. Most painfully, 2008 was the deadliest year of the war for American forces.
Many people in the United States - and many in partner countries that have sacrificed so much - have a simple question: What is our purpose in Afghanistan? After so many years, they ask, why do our men and women still fight and die there? They deserve a straightforward answer.
So let me be clear: al Qaeda and its allies - the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks - are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that al Qaeda is actively planning attacks on the U.S. homeland from its safe-haven in Pakistan. And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban - or allows al Qaeda to go unchallenged - that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.
The future of Afghanistan is inextricably linked to the future of its neighbor, Pakistan. In the nearly eight years since 9/11, al Qaeda and its extremist allies have moved across the border to the remote areas of the Pakistani frontier. This almost certainly includes al Qaeda's leadership: Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. They have used this mountainous terrain as a safe-haven to hide, train terrorists, communicate with followers, plot attacks, and send fighters to support the insurgency in Afghanistan. For the American people, this border region has become the most dangerous place in the world.
But this is not simply an American problem - far from it. It is, instead, an international security challenge of the highest order. Terrorist attacks in London and Bali were tied to al Qaeda and its allies in Pakistan, as were attacks in North Africa and the Middle East, in Islamabad and Kabul. If there is a major attack on an Asian, European, or African city, it - too - is likely to have ties to al Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan. The safety of people around the world is at stake.
For the Afghan people, a return to Taliban rule would condemn their country to brutal governance, international isolation, a paralyzed economy, and the denial of basic human rights to the Afghan people - especially women and girls. The return in force of al Qaeda terrorists who would accompany the core Taliban leadership would cast Afghanistan under the shadow of perpetual violence.
As President, my greatest responsibility is to protect the American people. We are not in Afghanistan to control that country or to dictate its future. We are in Afghanistan to confront a common enemy that threatens the United States, our friends and allies, and the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan who have suffered the most at the hands of violent extremists.
So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. That is the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just. And to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same: we will defeat you.
To achieve our goals, we need a stronger, smarter and comprehensive strategy. To focus on the greatest threat to our people, America must no longer deny resources to Afghanistan because of the war in Iraq. To enhance the military, governance, and economic capacity of Afghanistan and Pakistan, we have to marshal international support. And to defeat an enemy that heeds no borders or laws of war, we must recognize the fundamental connection between the future of Afghanistan and Pakistan - which is why I've appointed Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to serve as Special Representative for both countries, and to work closely with General David Petraeus to integrate our civilian and military efforts.
Let me start by addressing the way forward in Pakistan.
The United States has great respect for the Pakistani people. They have a rich history, and have struggled against long odds to sustain their democracy. The people of Pakistan want the same things that we want: an end to terror, access to basic services, the opportunity to live their dreams, and the security that can only come with the rule of law. The single greatest threat to that future comes from al Qaeda and their extremist allies, and that is why we must stand together.
The terrorists within Pakistan's borders are not simply enemies of America or Afghanistan - they are a grave and urgent danger to the people of Pakistan. Al Qaeda and other violent extremists have killed several thousand Pakistanis since 9/11. They have killed many Pakistani soldiers and police. They assassinated Benazir Bhutto. They have blown up buildings, derailed foreign investment, and threatened the stability of the state. Make no mistake: al Qaeda and its extremist allies are a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within.
It is important for the American people to understand that Pakistan needs our help in going after al Qaeda. This is no simple task. The tribal regions are vast, rugged, and often ungoverned. That is why we must focus our military assistance on the tools, training and support that Pakistan needs to root out the terrorists. And after years of mixed results, we will not provide a blank check. Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out al Qaeda and the violent extremists within its borders. And we will insist that action be taken - one way or another - when we have intelligence about high-level terrorist targets.
The government's ability to destroy these safe-havens is tied to its own strength and security. To help Pakistan weather the economic crisis, we must continue to work with the IMF, the World Bank and other international partners. To lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that too often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation, we must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan. To avoid the mistakes of the past, we must make clear that our relationship with Pakistan is grounded in support for Pakistan's democratic institutions and the Pakistani people. And to demonstrate through deeds as well as words a commitment that is enduring, we must stand for lasting opportunity.
A campaign against extremism will not succeed with bullets or bombs alone. Al Qaeda offers the people of Pakistan nothing but destruction. We stand for something different. So today, I am calling upon Congress to pass a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by John Kerry and Richard Lugar that authorizes $1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years - resources that will build schools, roads, and hospitals, and strengthen Pakistan's democracy. I'm also calling on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Maria Cantwell, Chris Van Hollen and Peter Hoekstra that creates opportunity zones in the border region to develop the economy and bring hope to places plagued by violence. And we will ask our friends and allies to do their part - including at the donors conference in Tokyo next month.
I do not ask for this support lightly. These are challenging times, and resources are stretched. But the American people must understand that this is a down payment on our own future - because the security of our two countries is shared. Pakistan's government must be a stronger partner in destroying these safe-havens, and we must isolate al Qaeda from the Pakistani people.
These steps in Pakistan are also indispensable to our effort in Afghanistan, which will see no end to violence if insurgents move freely back and forth across the border.
Security demands a new sense of shared responsibility. That is why we will launch a standing, trilateral dialogue among the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our nations will meet regularly, with Secretary Clinton and Secretary Gates leading our effort. Together, we must enhance intelligence sharing and military cooperation along the border, while addressing issues of common concern like trade, energy, and economic development.
This is just one part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent Afghanistan from becoming the al Qaeda safe-haven that it was before 9/11. To succeed, we and our friends and allies must reverse the Taliban's gains, and promote a more capable and accountable Afghan government.
Our troops have fought bravely against a ruthless enemy. Our civilians have made great sacrifices. Our allies have borne a heavy burden. Afghans have suffered and sacrificed for their future. But for six years, Afghanistan has been denied the resources that it demands because of the war in Iraq. Now, we must make a commitment that can accomplish our goals.
I have already ordered the deployment of 17,000 troops that had been requested by General McKiernan for many months. These soldiers and Marines will take the fight to the Taliban in the south and east, and give us a greater capacity to partner with Afghan Security Forces and to go after insurgents along the border. This push will also help provide security in advance of the important presidential election in August.
At the same time, we will shift the emphasis of our mission to training and increasing the size of Afghan Security Forces, so that they can eventually take the lead in securing their country. That is how we will prepare Afghans to take responsibility for their security, and how we will ultimately be able to bring our troops home.
For three years, our commanders have been clear about the resources they need for training. Those resources have been denied because of the war in Iraq. Now, that will change. The additional troops that we deployed have already increased our training capacity. Later this spring we will deploy approximately 4,000 U.S. troops to train Afghan Security Forces. For the first time, this will fully resource our effort to train and support the Afghan Army and Police. Every American unit in Afghanistan will be partnered with an Afghan unit, and we will seek additional trainers from our NATO allies to ensure that every Afghan unit has a coalition partner. We will accelerate our efforts to build an Afghan Army of 134,000 and a police force of 82,000 so that we can meet these goals by 2011 - and increases in Afghan forces may very well be needed as our plans to turn over security responsibility to the Afghans go forward.
This push must be joined by a dramatic increase in our civilian effort. Afghanistan has an elected government, but it is undermined by corruption and has difficulty delivering basic services to its people. The economy is undercut by a booming narcotics trade that encourages criminality and funds the insurgency. The people of Afghanistan seek the promise of a better future. Yet once again, have seen the hope of a new day darkened by violence and uncertainty.
To advance security, opportunity, and justice - not just in Kabul, but from the bottom up in the provinces - we need agricultural specialists and educators; engineers and lawyers. That is how we can help the Afghan government serve its people, and develop an economy that isn't dominated by illicit drugs. That is why I am ordering a substantial increase in our civilians on the ground. And that is why we must seek civilian support from our partners and allies, from the United Nations and international aid organizations - an effort that Secretary Clinton will carry forward next week in the Hague.
At a time of economic crisis, it is tempting to believe that we can short-change this civilian effort. But make no mistake: our efforts will fail in Afghanistan and Pakistan if we don't invest in their future. That is why my budget includes indispensable investments in our State Department and foreign assistance programs. These investments relieve the burden on our troops. They contribute directly to security. They make the American people safer. And they save us an enormous amount of money in the long run - because it is far cheaper to train a policeman to secure their village or to help a farmer seed a crop, than it is to send our troops to fight tour after tour of duty with no transition to Afghan responsibility.
As we provide these resources, the days of unaccountable spending, no-bid contracts, and wasteful reconstruction must end. So my budget will increase funding for a strong Inspector General at both the State Department and USAID, and include robust funding for the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction.
And I want to be clear: we cannot turn a blind eye to the corruption that causes Afghans to lose faith in their own leaders. Instead, we will seek a new compact with the Afghan government that cracks down on corrupt behavior, and sets clear benchmarks for international assistance so that it is used to provide for the needs of the Afghan people.
In a country with extreme poverty that has been at war for decades, there will also be no peace without reconciliation among former enemies. I have no illusions that this will be easy. In Iraq, we had success in reaching out to former adversaries to isolate and target al Qaeda. We must pursue a similar process in Afghanistan, while understanding that it is a very different country.
There is an uncompromising core of the Taliban. They must be met with force, and they must be defeated. But there are also those who have taken up arms because of coercion, or simply for a price. These Afghans must have the option to choose a different course. That is why we will work with local leaders, the Afghan government, and international partners to have a reconciliation process in every province. As their ranks dwindle, an enemy that has nothing to offer the Afghan people but terror and repression must be further isolated. And we will continue to support the basic human rights of all Afghans - including women and girls.
Going forward, we will not blindly stay the course. Instead, we will set clear metrics to measure progress and hold ourselves accountable. We'll consistently assess our efforts to train Afghan Security Forces, and our progress in combating insurgents. We will measure the growth of Afghanistan's economy, and its illicit narcotics production. And we will review whether we are using the right tools and tactics to make progress towards accomplishing our goals.
None of the steps that I have outlined will be easy, and none should be taken by America alone. The world cannot afford the price that will come due if Afghanistan slides back into chaos or al Qaeda operates unchecked. We have a shared responsibility to act - not because we seek to project power for its own sake, but because our own peace and security depends upon it. And what's at stake now is not just our own security - it is the very idea that free nations can come together on behalf of our common security. That was the founding cause of NATO six decades ago. That must be our common purpose today.
My Administration is committed to strengthening international organizations and collective action, and that will be my message next week in Europe. As America does more, we will ask others to join us in doing their part. From our partners and NATO allies, we seek not simply troops, but rather clearly defined capabilities: supporting the Afghan elections, training Afghan Security Forces, and a greater civilian commitment to the Afghan people. For the United Nations, we seek greater progress for its mandate to coordinate international action and assistance, and to strengthen Afghan institutions.And finally, together with the United Nations, we will forge a new Contact Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that brings together all who should have a stake in the security of the region - our NATO allies and other partners, but also the Central Asian states, the Gulf nations and Iran; Russia, India and China. None of these nations benefit from a base for al Qaeda terrorists, and a region that descends into chaos. All have a stake in the promise of lasting peace and security and development.That is true, above all, for the coalition that has fought together in Afghanistan, side by side with Afghans. The sacrifices have been enormous. Nearly 700 Americans have lost their lives. Troops from over twenty other countries have also paid the ultimate price. All Americans honor the service and cherish the friendship of those who have fought, and worked, and bled by our side. And all Americans are awed by the service of our own men and women in uniform, who have borne a burden as great as any other generation's. They and their families embody the example of selfless sacrifice.
The United States of America did not choose to fight a war in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 of our people were killed on September 11, 2001, for doing nothing more than going about their daily lives. Al Qaeda and its allies have since killed thousands of people in many countries. Most of the blood on their hands is the blood of Muslims, who al Qaeda has killed and maimed in far greater numbers than any other people. That is the future that al Qaeda is offering to the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan - a future without opportunity or hope; a future without justice or peace.
The road ahead will be long. There will be difficult days. But we will seek lasting partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan that serve the promise of a new day for their people. And we will use all elements of our national power to defeat al Qaeda, and to defend America, our allies, and all who seek a better future. Because the United States of America stands for peace and security, justice and opportunity. That is who we are, and that is what history calls on us to do once more.Thank you, God Bless You, and God Bless the United States of America.

Baitullah Mehsud threatens attack on White House

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud on March 31 claimed responsibility for a series of recent terrorist attacks, including the March 30 assault on a police training centre in Lahore, The News reported. He also threatened to show his power to the world when his people would attack the US capital as a reaction to frequent drone attacks in the tribal areas and the reward on his head. “By the grace of Allah Almighty, I am claiming responsibility for the attack on the police training school in Lahore with eagerness, honour and love and will continue similar strikes across the country, if the US drones were not stopped from killing innocent people in the tribal areas,” Baitullah Mehsud said in his telephonic conversation with reporters. Baitullah also claimed responsibility for two other suicide attacks, including one on a military convoy near Bannu in the NWFP on March 30 and another on the Police intelligence office in Islamabad on March 23. Baitullah said his men were out to target Government installations against its failure to protect tribesmen against non-stop drone attacks. About the recent reward of $5 million for his head by the US State Department, he said he loved to be martyred, but threatened his men would soon attack Americans in their own country, not in Afghanistan. He said his men would soon teach a lesson to the Americans in Washington and the White House. An Associated Press report added that Baitullah said his group was planning a terrorist attack on the White House that would “amaze” the world. “Soon we will launch an attack in Washington that will amaze everyone in the world,” said Mehsud. In his latest comments in an interview with local Dewa Radio, a copy of which was obtained by the AP, Mehsud identified the White House as one of the targets In Washington.