ISLAMABAD, 23 February 2007 — The Afghan government is happy with recent Pakistani steps to prevent Taleban militants from mounting cross-border attacks, President Hamid Karzai said in remarks published yesterday, while urging Islamabad to follow up with further efforts to counter the guerrillas.
Pakistan’s The News newspaper quoted Karzai as saying in an interview that Taleban attacks in Afghanistan had declined in recent months and that Pakistan had taken welcome steps to stem the flow of militants across the mountainous border. “We have seen an improvement in the situation. My government is happy with some of the measures adopted in this regard. But we feel that Pakistan needs to do more to tackle the problem,” Karzai was quoted as saying. The United States is also pressing Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to do more to tighten security along the border and clamp down on militant hide-outs and training camps in Pakistan’s border regions ahead of an anticipated surge in violence this spring.
However, US officials have sought to end a war of words between Karzai and Musharraf, who has angrily rejected accusations from Afghanistan that Pakistani forces are secretly helping the militants.
In the newspaper interview, Karzai said he and Pakistani president — both vital US allies in its war against terrorism — had decided to end their public feud and that the two nations “would prosper as friends.” Still, he pointed out that most attacks in Afghanistan take place along the Pakistani border and said that almost all of the suicide bombers attacking targets in Afghanistan were foreigners.
NATO troops supporting Karzai’s feeble government are bracing for an anticipated surge in violence in Afghanistan once spring brings warmer weather and melts snow in mountain passes used by insurgents.
The News said Karzai had cast doubt on recent claims that the Taleban was readying as many as 10,000 fighters for the new fighting season.
