I will draw ur attention to the increasinly dangerous situation in NWFP n Baluchistan......Govt officials r living in "green zones" away from the ppl to avoid kidnapping.....situation has drastically deteriorated....DMG n POLICE officers r confined to their offices doing nothing bt clerical nature of job....reluctant to go out....while there r rumours of revival of DMG,question is who will implement orders....police is not in position to fight civil war so implementation of orders is not possible....May God Bless Us...Amin

Tough talk after the Marriott bombing, but can Pakistan deliver?
By Bill RoggioSeptember 23, 2008 4:27 PM
The devastating bombing at the Marriott Hotel in the heart of Islamabad on Sept. 20 has prompted the Pakistani government to talk tough on taking on the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas. The latest attack, which killed more than 50 Pakistanis and foreigners and wounded more than 270, is being described as "Pakistan's 9-11." But US military officers and intelligence officials interviewed by The Long War Journal are concerned Pakistan does not have the capacity to take the fight to the Taliban and al Qaeda in their safe havens in the northwest.

Over the past three days, senior Pakistani leaders said military operations in the tribal areas would intensify. Anonymous sources told the Pakistan press that major operations would be launched today. No such offensive has been detected. The governor of the Northwest Frontier Province said operations would continue for the next five months.

Military offensives in the tribal agency of Bajaur and the settled district of Swat have been underway since the summer, but these operations have taken on a new meaning since the Marriott attack. The ongoing military operation in the tribal agency of Bajaur has been described as "a tipping-point for Pakistan's internal security" by Dawn, Pakistan's premier newspaper. The Bajaur operation has "created a surrender-or-die situation for the militants and a now-or-never moment for the country's security forces."

The military is fighting a determined force in Bajaur. US military and intelligence sources have long told The Long War Journalthe Taliban and their allies have organized into military formations capable of fighting at the battalion and in some cases the brigade level. Pakistani officials have confirmed this with the latest fighting in Bajaur.

The Taliban "have good weaponry and a better communication system (than ours)," a senior Pakistani official told Dawn. "Even the sniper rifles they use are better than some of ours. Their tactics are mind-boggling and they have defenses that would take us days to build. It does not look as though we are fighting a rag-tag militia; they are fighting like an organized force."

While the operations in Swat and Bajaur have helped tie down the Taliban in Pakistan, a senior US military intelligence official told The Long War Journal, but until the Pakistani military is able to conduct concurrent operations throughout the entire Northwest Frontier Province, any success will be limited. “If the Pakistanis fight this operation piecemeal, it will change little,” a US military officer said.

Neighboring agencies and districts serve as safe havens and vital elements of the logistical chain for Taliban operations against Pakistani forces while the fighting is ongoing. The Taliban have continually shown the capacity to regroup in neighboring tribal agencies and districts after bleeding and demoralizing Pakistan forces and then withdrawing. The Pakistan government and military's propensity to sign "peace agreements" only provides the time and space needed for the Taliban to regroup.

In order for the government to defeat the Taliban, military operations will need to be carried out concurrently in the tribal areas and the greater Northwest Frontier Province. Current operations are focused on Swat and Bajaur, but the Taliban remains strong in the neighboring agencies and districts of Dir, Mohmand, Malakand, Buner, Shangla, Kohistan, and Dir. North and South Waziristan and the southern agencies and districts serve as the Taliban's strategic reserve.

It is unclear at this time if the Pakistani military has the capacity or will to fight throughout the entire northwest, a senior US military officer told The Long War Journal. Pakistan said it has deployed more than 100,000 troops to the region, but these troops have had little effect on the security situation. The Pakistani military will be hesitant to redeploy more forces from the eastern border with India to increase the reserves needed to fight the Taliban throughout the province.

And, as always, the morale and will of the Pakistani military and intelligence services remains a serious question mark. Elements of the Inter-Service Intelligence are known to openly support the Taliban and al Qaeda, and portions of the military are either sympathetic to the Taliban or unwilling to fight their countrymen.

While the tough talk against the Taliban and al Qaeda is welcomed in Washington and Western capitals, US military and intelligence officials worry we will see more of the same from Pakistan: ineffective, uncoordinated operations that do little to put a real dent in al Qaeda and the Taliban’s capabilities. Past operations against the Taliban have only proven inneffective.

“The Pakistani government can say what it likes, but unless the Army is willing and capable of fighting an extended battle, it won’t amount for much,” a senior US military intelligence official said. “The wildcard is Pakistan’s military.”


A look at the state of the Taliban and Pakistani military operations over the past year in the tribal areas and Northwest Frontier Province:


Map of the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. Hangu is the latest district to fall under Taliban control. The government signed peace agreements in the red agencies/ districts; purple districts are under de facto Taliban control; yellow regions are under Taliban influence.

Bajaur

The most intensive fighting in Pakistan is occurring in the tribal agency of Bajaur. The fighting began in early August, when Pakistani forces launched an attack to dislodge the Taliban from strongholds throughout the agency.

The military has made little progress in the operation. A Frontier Corps convoy was ambushed and routed in the Loisam region. The military later claimed it took control of Loisam and other areas, but heavy fighting is ongoing throughout the agency. Khar, the administrative seat of Bajaur, is still contested.

The Pakistani government claimed the operation in Bajaur is targeting "foreign militants, including Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs" and not Pakistani tribesmen or Taliban forces, Daily Times reported. But the military has since claimed more than 700 Taliban fighters have been killed during the fighting.

Leaders from the Salarzai and Utmankhel tribes have formed Lashkars, or tribal armies, to fight the Taliban and have had limited success. But the powerful Mamond tribe is still siding with the Taliban and al Qaeda. Bajaur is a stronghold of Faqir Mohammed, the leader of a radical Taliban group. The agency also serves as al Qaeda's command and control center for attacks in northeastern Afghanistan.

Pakistan intelligence sources claimed Mustafa Abu Yazid, al Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan, and Faqir were killed in strikes in Bajaur. But both Yazid and Faqir have since appeared on videotape.

Swat

The military began operations to clear the Taliban in Swat in November 2007, and are still fighting tough battles in the settled district. The operation began after Mullah Fazlullah, the local Taliban leader, took over the region. The military claimed it would clear the Taliban from Swat by mid-December 2007.

After a half a year of brutal fighting, the government negotiated a peace accord with Fazlullah in May 2008. Fighting restarted in July 2008. The government said the operation would be completed in three months. The time has nearly expired.

The Taliban attack government forces in Swat on a daily basis. Yesterday, a suicide bomber killed nine soldiers. Taliban fighters bombed a power station the day prior. The attack knocked out electricity throughout much of the region.

Swat was once Pakistan's vacation paradise, rich with golf courses, hiking trails, a ski resort, and archeological sites. The fighting has destroyed Swat's tourist industry.

Kohat & Aurakzai

The military and the Taliban have fought pitched battles in the settled district of Kohat and the Aurakzai tribal agency since the beginning of this year. The Taliban took control of the Kohat Tunnel in the winter and had rampaged in the city of Darra Adam Khel.

The Taliban hijacked a military convoy in Darra Adam Khel and seized weapons destined for the military operation in South Waziristan in late January. Clashes ensued as the Pakistani military moved forces into the region to battle the Taliban, but the military backed down and quickly formed a “peace jirga” to negotiate with the Taliban.

The Taliban responded by taking control of the strategic Kohat Tunnel. The Taliban kidnapped more than 50 paramilitary troops from the Frontier Corps during the fighting at the Kohat Tunnel. Several soldiers and paramilitaries were beheaded and mutilated. The government retook the Kohat Tunnel after days of fierce fighting, but not before the Taliban damaged the tunnel during an attempt to destroy it.

On March 2, the Taliban conducted a suicide bombing on a tribal jirga being held in the town of Zargoan in Kohat. More than 40 Pakistanis were killed and 40 wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his vest in the middle of the crowd as they exited the meeting. The tribal elders were discussing ways to drive the Taliban from the region. The tribes dropped the issue after the attack.

The Kohat Tunnel and the Indus Highway have been closed since Aug. 28 after the Taliban conducted a complex suicide attack on military installation close to the Kohat Tunnel. The Taliban nearly overran the base. The tunnel and highway serve as a vital link between Peshawar and the southern tribal agencies and districts.

The military claimed it killed 50 Taliban fighters in Darra Adam Khel over the past two days, and has fully retaken control of the Kohat Tunnel and Indus Highway.

Mohmand

The Mohmand tribal agency has been relatively quiet since the provincial government cut a peace deal with local Taliban leader Omar Khalid. The Taliban immediately established a parallel government and has continued to support Taliban operations in Kurram, Bajaur, and in Afghanistan.

In the past Khalid denied any connections to al Qaeda or the Taliban. He has since joined the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the umbrella Taliban organization led by Baitullah Mehsud that united movements in the tribal areas and the settled districts of the Northwest Frontier Province. Khalid is the Taliban’s representative for Mohmand agency.

Kurram

Kurram is one of the few areas in Pakistan's northwest where the locals have fought the rise of the Taliban. Kurram has a large Shia population that has long opposed the Taliban. Sectarian fighting in Kurram has been intense the past year, with hundreds on each side killed and thousands wounded during heavy fighting.

The Taliban and al Qaeda have used Kurram as a training ground. Forces are sent to the agency to hone their skills before fighting against the Pakistani military or NATO forces in Afghanistan, a several US intelligence sources told The Long War Journal.

The Pakistani military has refused to intervene in the fighting in Kurram despite pleas from the local population.

Peshawar

The Taliban have been threatening to overrun Peshawar, the provincial capital of the Northwest Frontier Province, since late last year. The Taliban control or have a strong presence in the neighboring tribal agencies and settled districts, nearly enclosing Peshawar in a vice.

The Taliban began heavily attacking police and Frontier Corps outposts surrounding the city during the spring, and also began conducting several high-profile suicide and military attacks inside the city proper.

The military upped security and turned the city into a virtual fortress. An operation was launched in Khyber in what was supposed to be an effort to relieve pressure on the city. But the Taliban have continued to press in Peshawar by issuing night letters, threatening businesses, conducting assassinations and bombings, and attacking security forces.

Yesterday, Taliban fighters kidnapped Afghanistan's ambassador-designate to Pakistan in the city of Peshawar. Taliban fighters ambushed the ambassador's car, killing the driver. Today, the Taliban nearly kidnapped Afghanistan's commercial consular official in Peshawar. In August, the Taliban ambushed a car carrying the senior US diplomat in Peshawar. The attack came close to killing the diplomat.

Khyber

The Pakistani military launched an operation to clear Khyber of Taliban elements and relieve pressure on Peshawar in early July. The military said it was directly targeting the local extremist groups of Ansar-ul-Islam, Lashkar-e-Islam, and the Promotion of Virtue and Suppression of Vice. The groups were outlawed by the government after a request from the commander of the paramilitary Frontier Corps.

But the operation yielded little success in capturing senior leaders of the Taliban-linked groups. The military even admitted the operation was a show of force only. Haji Namdar, the leader of the Promotion of Virtue and Suppression of Vice, was even seen riding with the Frontier Corps to ensure his fighters did not clash with Pakistani forces.

The military signed a peace agreement with Mangal Bagh, the leader of the Lashkar-e-Islam just 11 days after the operation began. All of the 93 supposed Taliban fighters detained in Khyber were later released from custody.

Khyber is now largely under the control of Ansar-ul-Islam and Lashkar-e-Islam. The military maintains a heavy presence to keep a supply line open for NATO forces in Afghanistan.

North Waziristan

The military has been largely inactive in North Waziristan, but the Taliban forces under the command of Jalaluddin Haqqani and Hafiz Gul Bahadar have been active in attacking Pakistani forces of late. The Pakistani military has been unwilling to operate in the region after suffering a strike of major defeats in the region over the past several years.

The Haqqani Network began attacking military forces after the US bombed a compound run by the Haqqani Family outside of Miramshah earlier this month. The military has responded by launching limited artillery and air strikes against attacking Taliban forces.

North Waziristan has been under effective Taliban control since September of 2006, when the government signed a peace agreement with Taliban leaders. North Waziristan serves as a launch pad for attacks into eastern Afghanistan as well as a hideout for senior and mid-level al Qaeda leaders.

The US has launched multiple strikes in North Waziristan this year in an effort to take down al Qaeda and the Haqqani networks. One of the strikes killed Abu Laith al Libi, al Qaeda's senior commander in Afghanistan, in a compound in Haqqani's tribal areas.

South Waziristan

South Waziristan remains under the firm control of Taliban commanders Baitullah Mehsud and Mullah Nazir. Baitullah's forces dealt the Pakistani military heavy defeats in January of this year after overrunning several forts and conducting strong defenses of their tribal areas.

The military honored a cease-fire after a month of heavy fighting in January, and began abandoning forts and checkpoints in the agency later in the year after admitting the supply lines in the region were insecure. The government and military have been reluctant to antagonize the Taliban in South Waziristan, despite the fact that it accuses Baitullah of conducting the most deadly suicide attacks in Pakistan over the past several years.

Hangu, Bannu, Tank, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Dir, Malakand, Shangla, Mardan, Chitral, Buner, and Kohistan

The Taliban maintain a strong presence in these settled districts, but rarely conduct military operations there. Some of the largest suicide attacks in Pakistan over the past several years have occurred in these districts. The Taliban appear to be keeping the local populations in line while striking at government targets in the region.

Tribes in Buner and Dir have recently said they would oppose the Taliban and are working to eject them. The Taliban have responded by conducting attacks to cower the tribes. A suicide attack at a mosque in Dir killed 25 and wounded more than 50. Tribal fighters in Dir recently killed three Taliban suicide bombers after they attempted to take over a school packed with 300 children.

But the tribal also oppose the presence of Pakistani security forces. The Taliban have responded violently to such tribal opposition in the past. Without the help of the Pakistani security forces the tribes have little hope of surviving a concerted attack.

US conducts two strikes in North Waziristan
By Bill RoggioOctober 3, 2008 4:20 PM

Map of the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province. The government signed peace agreements in the red agencies/ districts; purple districts are under de facto Taliban control; yellow regions are under Taliban influence.

The US launched three airstrikes directed at the Haqqani network and al Qaeda operating in eastern Afghanistan and in Pakistan’s tribal areas. At least three separate attacks by US aircraft were reported in Khost province in Afghanistan and across the border in Pakistan's lawless tribal agency of North Waziristan. The attacks occurred in regions known to be controlled by the powerful, al Qaeda friendly Haqqani family.

"There were two separate attacks in Pakistan," a senior US military intelligence told The Long War Journal.

The first strike occurred in the village of Mohammad Khel in North Waziristan. Pakistani intelligence sources told news outlets that 21 "suspected militants" were killed in a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle attack, and "most were foreigners." Sixteen foreign al Qaeda fighters were later reported killed, although none were identified.

The second strike occurred in Datta Khel, also in North Waziristan. A Predator strike hit two homes in the village. Two women and a child were reported killed, and five men were reported wounded.

The Pakistani military denied any violation of its territory. "There was no violation, no incursion or intrusion on our side," Major General Athar Abbas, Pakistan's chief military spokesman said.

The US did conduct a strike in a region in Khost province and warned the Pakistani military of the operation, Abbas told Reuters. "ISAF informed us at around 4: 00 p.m. (6: 00 a.m. EDT) that they were conducting an operation in Afghanistan, across from North Waziristan," Abbas said.

North Waziristan and Khost province are strongholds of the Haqqani family. The Haqqanis are closely allied with the Taliban and al Qaeda, and have close links with the Inter-Services Intelligence.

The Haqqanis run a parallel government in North Waziristan and conduct military and suicide operations in eastern Afghanistan. Jalaluddin and Siraj Haqqani have close ties to Osama bin Laden. Siraj is one of the most wanted terrorist commanders in Afghanistan for his involvement in a string of deadly attacks and for recruiting and training foreign terrorists for suicide attacks.

Latest US strike in North Waziristan

Today's twin strikes in Pakistan make for three attacks over the past three days. The US hit an al Qaeda safe house in Mirali in North Waziristan after a week-long lull in cross-border raids. Mirali is a known stronghold of al Qaeda leader Abu Kasha. He has close links to both al Qaeda and the Taliban, a senior US intelligence official told The Long War Journal in January 2007.

The US has stepped up attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas this year after the Taliban and al Qaeda consolidated control in the tribal regions and settled districts of the Northwest Frontier Province. There have been 12 recorded cross-border strikes since Aug. 31. There have been 22 recorded cross-border attacks and attempts in Pakistan in 2008, compared to 10 strikes during 2006 and 2007 combined.

These attacks are designed to interdict al Qaeda’s ability to conduct attacks against the West as well as degrade the Taliban’s support network being used against NATO forces in Afghanistan. Three senior al Qaeda leaders have been killed in the attacks.

The Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied terrorist groups have established 157 training camps and more than 400 support locations in the tribal areas and the Northwest Frontier Province, US intelligence officials have told The Long War Journal.

The Pakistani military said it had direct orders to "open fire" on any US forces attempting to violate Pakistan's borders. The military has fired on US helicopters along the border at least three times in September

Pakistan has poor track record reporting deaths of senior terrorist leaders
By Bill RoggioOctober 5, 2008 10:24 AM

A senior Taliban or al Qaeda leader may have been killed in the Oct. 2 airstrike in North Waziristan, according to unconfirmed reports from Pakistan. But without confirmation from either the Taliban or the US, reports from Pakistani officials should be viewed as suspect.

The US carried out two separate strikes in North Waziristan on Oct. 2. Both strikes hit tribal areas in North Waziristan run by the Haqqani family. The strike in Mohammed Khel is reported to have killed 23, including 16 or more "Arab" al Qaeda members.

"The Taliban appeared extra-perturbed over the latest strike," the The Associated Press reported, based on anonymous Pakistani intelligence sources. "The anger was a signal that a senior militant may have been killed, but that has yet to be confirmed, the officials said."

Taliban fighters are "moving aggressively in the area while using harsh language against locals, including calling them "saleable commodities" — a reference to people serving as government spies," AP reported. The Taliban have surrounded the attack site and are keeping locals away.

The sources did not speculate as to who may have been killed. The US has been hunting Jalaluddin Haqqani, the legendary mujahideen fighter and leader of the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, and Siraj, his son. The Haqqani family mosque was targeted in an airstrike on Sept. 9.

Both men have been behind major attacks in Afghanistan and lead the insurgency in Khost, Paktia, and Paktika provinces. The Haqqanis shelter al Qaeda leaders and fighters, and support training camps in their tribal areas in Pakistan.

Beware of Pakistani sourcing

The Pakistani government, the military, and intelligence services have been eager to show that senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders are being killed during Pakistani offensives in the tribal areas. The US has expressed concern over the rise of the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan, and has upped unilateral airstrikes inside Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas in an attempt to prevent attacks on US soil. Pakistani is under enormous pressure to show results in fighting the Taliban and al Qaeda.

But this year's reports of the death of senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders from Pakistani sources have almost always been false.

Since January 2008, nine senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders, including Ayman al Zawahiri and Baitullah Mehsud, have been reported to have been killed inside Pakistan. Of those reported killed, only three have been confirmed killed. All three al Qaeda leaders were killed in US cross-border strikes, not in Pakistani offensive operations. The other six leaders who were reported killed by Pakistani sources have appeared in the media or on al Qaeda propaganda tapes.

Al Qaeda and the Taliban typically release a martyrdom announcement when senior operational leaders are killed. The reasons are twofold, a senior intelligence official told The Long War Journal. First, the terror groups want to celebrate the death of their leaders to help with recruitment. Second, the announcement serves to dispel any rumors within the organization and allows the replacement leader to take command.

Without independent confirmation from US intelligence and al Qaeda or the Taliban, reports of the death of senior terrorist leaders from exclusively Pakistani sources should be viewed with skepticism.

False reports:

The following al Qaeda and Taliban leaders were reported kill by Pakistani intelligence sources. These leaders later appeared in the media or on propaganda tapes.

Ayman al Zawahiri: Several large news outlets reported that al Qaeda's second in command was killed or seriously wounded in the May 14 airstrike in South Waziristan that killed al Qaeda WMD chief Abu Khabab al Masri. The Long War Journal was highly critical that Zawahiri was killed at the time. Zawahiri appeared on a videotape a week later urging Pakistanis to fight the government.

Baitullah Mehsud: On Sept. 30, several major news sources reported that Pakistani Taliban leader and South Waziristan warlord Baitullah Mehsud died of natural causes related to kidney problems. The Long War Journal was highly critical that Baitullah was dead, and intelligence sources said he was alive. On Oct. 1, the Taliban denied the report. Baitullah was seen visiting villages in South Waziristan to celebrate Eid-al-Fitr on Oct. 4.

Faqir Mohammed: The Pakistani military claimed Faqir Mohammed, the deputy commander of the Pakistani Taliban and the group's leader in the Bajaur tribal agency, was killed in a battle in Bajaur this summer. A Taliban spokesman immediately denied the report and Faqir appeared in front to the media a day later to dispute the claim of his death. The Pakistani military also claimed Faqir's son, Abdullah Mohammed, was killed, although no proof of his death has been offered.

Mustafa Abu Yazid: The Pakistani military claimed Mustafa Abu Yazid, al Qaeda's senior commander in Afghanistan, was killed in a battle in the Bajaur tribal agency this summer. The Long War Journal was highly critical of the reports of Yazid's death. Al Qaeda never confirmed Yazid's death, and the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies never presented evidence he was killed. Yazid has since appeared on multiple videotapes, including the Oct. 4 release that featured Adam Gadahn. The Pakistani military, who refer to Yazid as Abu Saeed al Masri, claimed Yazid was dead as recently as Sept. 26.

Adam Gadahn: Numerous Pakistani sources told multiple major news outlets that Gadahn was killed in the Jan. 28 airstrike in North Waziristan that killed senior al Qaeda leader Abu Laith al Libi. The Long War Journal was highly critical of the reports of Gadahn's death. Speculation grew after Gadahn failed to appear on al Qaeda propaganda tapes, As Sahab stopped producing English translations for the tapes, and some problems were reported with the release of videos and audio. Gadahn later appeared on a tape on Oct. 4, along with Yazid. Gadahn is the American al Qaeda spokesman who is wanted by the US for treason.

Qari Hussain: The Pakistani military claimed Qari Hussain, a senior lieutenant to Baitullah Mehsud who ran a suicide bomber nursery in South Waziristan, was killed during operations in January. Hussain held a press conference in South Waziristan on May 23, and mocked the Pakistani military. "I am alive, don't you see me?" Hussain said.

Confirmed kills:

Al Qaeda confirmed the death of all three leaders. The US killed the terrorist leaders in airstrikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

Abu Laith al Libi: Abu Laith al Libi was killed in a US strike inside the North Waziristan tribal agency in Pakistan in late January. Al Libi was the leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and served as a chief spokesman for al Qaeda. Al Libi also commanded al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan.

Abu Sulayman Jazairi: On May 14, a US airstrike killed Abu Sulayman Jazairi along with 13 associates in an attack against a Taliban and al Qaeda safe house in the town of Damadola in Pakistan's Bajaur tribal agency. Jazairi was a senior Algerian operative for al Qaeda's central organization who directed the group's external operations against the West. He is described as a senior trainer, an explosives expert, and an operational commander tasked with planning attacks on the West.

Abu Khabab al Masri: The US military killed Abu Khabab al Masri during a targeted strike on an al Qaeda safe house in the village of Zeralita in the Azam Warsak region of South Waziristan on July 28. Khabab was al Qaeda's chief bomb maker and headed its chemical and biological weapons programs.

Zardari seeks $100 billion for Pakistan's survival
Masood Haider
NEW YORK: Citing the threats by the militants on Pakistan’s border and the imminent economic meltdown, President Asif Ali Zardari, has asked the international community to give Pakistan $ 100 billion in grant to stave off the dual threats which undermine the very survival of the country.
'I need your help, if we fall, if we can't do it, you can't do it,' Zardari repeatedly said in an interview with Wall Street Journal’s columnist Brent Stephens, published Saturday.
In the interview Zardari also called for a broader free trade agreement with India saying 'India has never been a threat to Pakistan,' adding that 'I, for one, and our democratic government is not scared of Indian influence abroad.'
Stephens said in his column that Zardari spoke of the militant groups operating in occpied Kashmir as 'terrorists' and said he had no objection to the India-US nuclear cooperation pact, so long as Pakistan was treated 'at par.'

'Why would we begrudge the largest democracy in the world getting friendly with one of the oldest democracies in the world?,' Zardari was quoted as saying.

On Mr Zardari’s request for $100 billion in grant, Stephens said Zardari 'has a simple and powerful argument to make that the world cannot allow his government to fail — not when it's becoming increasingly plausible that Pakistan itself, with its stockpile of as many as 200 nuclear warheads, could be toppled by al Qaeda and its allies.'
In asking the international community for infusion of $100 billion in Pakistan, Stephens said Zardari was keen to insist that it not be described as aid.
'Aid is proven through the researches of the World Bank . . . [to be] bad for a country,' Zardari told WSJ. 'I'm looking for temporary relief for my budgetary support and cash for my treasury which does not need to be spent by me. It is not something I want to spend. But [it] will stop the [outflow] of my capital every time there is a bomb blast...In this situation, how do I create capital confidence, how do I create businessmen's confidence?' Stephens quoted Zardari as saying.

On US-Pakistan differences to conduct the war on terror along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, in the North West Frontier Province, Stephen's said 'Mr. Zardari was anxious to downplay any differences with the US. 'I am not going to fall for this position that it's an unpopular thing to be America's friend. I am America's friend,' Zardari reiterated.
On the incident about the firing on the US aircraft by Pakistani army, Zardari told WSJ 'it was merely an incident, and while incidents do happen, they are not always important.' He went off the record to describe sensitive military subjects, but acknowledged that the US was carrying out Predator missile strikes on Pakistani soil with his government's consent. 'We have an understanding, in the sense that we're going after an enemy together.'
Zardari, Stephens maintained, also conceded 'the problem that had bedeviled past efforts at US-Pakistani cooperation, particularly in intelligence sharing: the widely held suspicion that Pakistani intelligence services continue to cooperate with, and even arm, the Taliban.'

'You know, you keep an uglier alternative around so that you may not be asked to leave,' he said, in reference to Mr Musharraf's claim of fighting militants with one hand while protecting them with the other. Mr Zardari refused to go into further detail other than to say he 'solved the problem.'
Zardari hoped that with the intelligence problem out of the way, a new era of cooperation can open up with the US. 'We want to be able to share [U.S.] intelligence,' he told WSJ. 'We need helicopters, we need night goggles, we need equipment of that sort.'

Zardari stressed the need for precision and finesse in fighting militants, rather than employing a large-scale military force. 'My eventual concept is that we should be taking them on as they are, as criminals.'
Referring to reports that Pakistan has deployed F-16s against insurgents, in part because the army's own frontier troops have been routinely routed in ground fighting, he said the troops'problems aren't simply tactical. 'What kind of a joke is this that I cannot pay my security personnel more than the Talibs are paying?' he said. 'Those terrorists are paying their soldiers 10,000 rupees; I'm paying seven or six thousand rupees.'
'The effects of such a disparity are increasingly evident. The recent bombing of Islamabad's Marriott hotel, in an area that is under particularly tight security controls, is a fresh reminder that Pakistan's terrorist problem extends well beyond the tribal hinterlands,' Stephens quoted Zardari as saying.