| Shiite deal gives militants new Afghan access
Is there a seeming Iran/Taliban/Pakistan nexus here?
"While Kurram's Sunnis have come under Taliban sway, its Shiites have come under the influence of two local militias called Hezbollah and the Mehdi militia — unrelated to the militant groups of the same name in Lebanon and Iraq, respectively — Bangash said.
'The Shiites are held hostage to the Hezbollah and Mehdi militias, like the Sunnis are held hostage to the Taliban,' said Bangash."
Wikipedia:Haqquani Network,Links With Pakistan
Note the ISI senior official's characterization of the network's leader as a Pakistani asset.
Notice the Pakistani justification on the basis of an anticipated NATO (US) withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"The network maintains old links with Inter-Services Intelligence and Osama bin Laden and Pakistan's army has been reluctant to move against them.[2] In 2006 Jalaluddin was called a 'Pakistani asset' by a senior official of Inter-Services Intelligence.[13] Pakistan regards the Haqqani's as an important force for protecting its interests in Afghanistan in the event of American withdrawal from there and therefore have been unwilling to move against them.[13] The New York Times reported in June 2010 that Pakistan's Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and chief of the ISI General Ahmad Shuja Pasha were in talks with Afghan president Hamid Karzai as they were convinced the US could not succeed in Afghanistan.[14] They were trying to broker a power sharing deal between the Afghan government and the network after US forces withdraw from Afghanistan.[15] Reacting to this report both Barack Obama and CIA director Leon Panetta responded with skepticism that such an effort could succeed.[16] The effort to mediate between the Haqqanis and the Afghan government was launched by Pakistan after intense pressure by the US to take military action against the group in North Waziristan.[17] Hamid Karzai later denied meeting anyone from the Haqqani network.[18] Subsequently Kayani also denied that he took part in these talks.[19]" |