The Taliban Make Peace with Pakistan

BBC NEWS | Pakistan pays tribe al-Qaeda debt

Pakistan says it has paid 32m rupees ($540,000) to help four former wanted tribal militants in South Waziristan settle debts with al-Qaeda.


Military operations chief in the region, Lt Gen Safdar Hussain, said the payments were part of a peace deal signed on Monday with tribesmen.


It is the first time Pakistan has admitted making such payments.

Pakistan is our "ally" adept at playing both sides in this war on terror. A formal ceremony marking the signing of the accord was marked by "Taliban militants shouting “Death to America” and “Allah-o-Akbar” (God is great)".
Militant leader Baituallah Mehsud, a 30-year-old Taliban commander in South Waziristan spoke to the gathered celebrants:

“Pakistan has also realised that fighting tribal people is weakening its ability. Pakistan’s enemy are India, the Northern Alliance and Russia.”


He vowed to abide by the peace deal. “This agreement will last unless the government violates it.” Under the agreement, Baitullah cannot shelter or support foreign militants, nor can he attack government installations. If Baitullah or his supporters violate the agreement, the government will take action against him.


The peace deal offers an amnesty in return for the tribe's pledge not to support al-Qaeda and Taleban militants or attack government installations.

I'm sure the Bush Administration is befuddled by this new development. However, thats what happens when you get in bed with Musharraf. Pakistan is well known for an intelligence service with strong ties to the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Since the 2004 assasination attempts against Musharraf, Pakistani Intellegence service leadership has been purged, but one can't erradicate 10-15 years of political ties in six months. One has to wonder just how the accused assassin could escape police custody without inside help.
While, assassination attempts and threats from the US have made him no friend of Al Qaeda, he is consistently making agreements that have little real effect other than placating extremist opposition rather than making fundemental changes, much like this agreement and the pardon of the father of nuclear proliferation, Abdul Qadeer (A. Q.) Khan. The agreement with the Taliban may just signify that Al Qaeda has largely left the area. I'm sure Taliban ties are stronger internally than the new relationship with Pakistan. Can anyone really think the Taliban have given up their claim to Afghanistan?


Complete Article from BBC
BBC NEWS
Pakistan pays tribe al-Qaeda debt
Pakistan says it has paid 32m rupees ($540,000) to help four former wanted tribal militants in South Waziristan settle debts with al-Qaeda.
Military operations chief in the region, Lt Gen Safdar Hussain, said the payments were part of a peace deal signed on Monday with tribesmen.
It is the first time Pakistan has admitted making such payments.
Also on Wednesday, wanted militant Abdullah Mehsud rejected Monday's peace deal signed by others in his tribe.
Offer rejected
Gen Hussain said four former wanted militants had insisted they needed the money to pay back huge sums to al-Qaeda.
Haji Sharif and Maulvi Abbas received 15m rupees each, while Maulvi Javed and Haji Mohammad Omar were each paid one million rupees.
Gen Hussain said a sum of 20m rupees was also offered to tribal leader, Baitullah Mehsud, who signed the peace deal, but that he rejected it.
The commander said the militants had initially sought 170m rupees.
The peace deal offers an amnesty in return for the tribe's pledge not to support al-Qaeda and Taleban militants or attack government installations.
Embarrassing incident
However, on Wednesday tribal militant Abdullah Mehsud, wanted for kidnapping two Chinese engineers last year, told the BBC he did not support the deal signed by Baitullah Mehsud.
Abdullah Mehsud said only a holy war would evict "US agents" from Pakistan.
My people are not responsible for the killing of the two journalists
Abdullah Mehsud
Speaking to the BBC's Haroon Rashid in Peshawar by phone from an undisclosed location, he said: "Baitullah's thinking might be that he can achieve his aims by signing the peace agreement, while mine is that only a holy war against the US and Pakistani government could achieve this."
Abdullah Mehsud spent about two years in US custody in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before being released.
He fought for the Taleban in Afghanistan, losing a leg in a landmine explosion a few days before the Taleban took Kabul in September 1996.
He is wanted for masterminding the abduction of two Chinese engineers in South Waziristan last year, one of whom was killed in a rescue attempt.
The incident was highly embarrassing for the Pakistani government, which has close ties with Beijing.
Abdullah Mehsud, condemning those who appealed to China to grant him amnesty, accused Beijing of killing Muslims.
The Mehsud tribe is the dominant clan in the Afghan border region.
Shortly after Monday's accord, two journalists who attended the signing were killed when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in Wana.
Abdullah Mehsud said on Wednesday: "My people are not responsible for the killing of the two journalists."
Pakistan believes hundreds of militants, including Arabs, Afghans and Central Asians, are holed up in the South Waziristan region.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4249525.stm
Published: 2005/02/09 12:49:43 GMT
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