ID :
118555
Sat, 04/24/2010 - 22:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/118555
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US working with India on Af-Pak: Petraeus
Washington, Apr 24 (PTI) The US is trying to reverse the
momentum of the Taiban in Afghanistan and has been working
actively with India with regard to the situation in the Af-Pak
region, a top American General has said.
"It (India) is not in the title (of Special
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard
Holbrooke), but he has certainly had a lot of activity with
our Indian partners," General David Petraeus, Commander of the
US Central Command, told Charlie Rose Show on the PBS.
Appreciative of the recent Pakistani military operation
against the Taliban and al-Qaeda along the Pak-Afghan border,
Petraeus said the US forces in Afghanistan are trying to
regain the momentum in the country.
"It (Taliban) has been resurgent. It did indeed have the
momentum. And what we're trying to do now is reverse that
moment and take back areas they have been able to take control
of," Petraeus said.
The American General said that defeat of the Taliban in
Kandahar is very important for victory in the war against
terrorism.
"It really is the birthplace of the Taliban. It is also
where the 9/11 attacks were originally conceived. That's where
they were planned. So it has enormous importance to the
Taliban," he said.
"It will not be a hub-to-hub offensive. This is not going
to be something like the clearance of Ramadi or, say,
southwestern Baghdad. This in fact is as much political as it
is military," he said.
Responding to a question on Pakistan, Petraeus said there
has indeed been considerable progress by the Pakistani army
and frontier corps against the Pakistani Taliban in the
country's northwest, including Swat and tribal areas, but
clearly it is a very tough work.
"And again, the extremists there, the Pakistani Taliban
and their confederates, have sought to fight back by doing
what they do, which is carry out acts of indiscriminate
violence against innocent civilians as they did before, as
well, as they assassinated Benazir Bhutto and blew up visiting
cricket teams and thousands and thousands of innocent
Pakistani civilians and security force members," he said. PTI
momentum of the Taiban in Afghanistan and has been working
actively with India with regard to the situation in the Af-Pak
region, a top American General has said.
"It (India) is not in the title (of Special
Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard
Holbrooke), but he has certainly had a lot of activity with
our Indian partners," General David Petraeus, Commander of the
US Central Command, told Charlie Rose Show on the PBS.
Appreciative of the recent Pakistani military operation
against the Taliban and al-Qaeda along the Pak-Afghan border,
Petraeus said the US forces in Afghanistan are trying to
regain the momentum in the country.
"It (Taliban) has been resurgent. It did indeed have the
momentum. And what we're trying to do now is reverse that
moment and take back areas they have been able to take control
of," Petraeus said.
The American General said that defeat of the Taliban in
Kandahar is very important for victory in the war against
terrorism.
"It really is the birthplace of the Taliban. It is also
where the 9/11 attacks were originally conceived. That's where
they were planned. So it has enormous importance to the
Taliban," he said.
"It will not be a hub-to-hub offensive. This is not going
to be something like the clearance of Ramadi or, say,
southwestern Baghdad. This in fact is as much political as it
is military," he said.
Responding to a question on Pakistan, Petraeus said there
has indeed been considerable progress by the Pakistani army
and frontier corps against the Pakistani Taliban in the
country's northwest, including Swat and tribal areas, but
clearly it is a very tough work.
"And again, the extremists there, the Pakistani Taliban
and their confederates, have sought to fight back by doing
what they do, which is carry out acts of indiscriminate
violence against innocent civilians as they did before, as
well, as they assassinated Benazir Bhutto and blew up visiting
cricket teams and thousands and thousands of innocent
Pakistani civilians and security force members," he said. PTI
