Afghan president threatens to attack Taliban in Pakistan

Monday 16th June, 06:23 AM JST

KABUL —

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday threatened to attack Taliban insurgents on Pakistani soil, saying his war-torn country had a right to do so out of “self-defense.”

The warning came just days after U.S.-led forces carried out an air strike in Pakistan’s lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan. Washington says it was targeting militants, but Pakistan says 11 of its soldiers were killed.

It also came two days after more than 1,100 prisoners including hundreds of militants escaped from a jail in restive southern Kandahar—the birthplace of the Taliban movement—in a daring attack staged by the insurgents.

“Afghanistan has the right to destroy terrorist nests on the other side of the border in self-defense,” Karzai told a news conference in Kabul.

“When they cross the border from Pakistan to come and kill Afghans and coalition troops, it gives us exactly the right to go back and do the same,” he added, in his toughest comments yet on stamping out militancy along the border.

The stark warning earned a swift response from Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who said that his country would not tolerate any violations of its territorial sovereignty.

“We will neither interfere in the internal affairs of any country, nor will we allow anyone to interfere in our affairs,” Gilani told private ARY-OneWorld television.

“Such statements will not help in the normalization of friendly relations between the two countries and will hurt the sentiments of people on both sides of the border,” Gilani said, however adding he wanted “friendly” ties with Kabul.

Afghanistan and Pakistan, both key U.S. allies in the “war on terror,” have bickered for years about the extremist violence growing in both countries, with each accusing the other of not doing enough to fight it.

Karzai has repeatedly accused the Pakistani government of failing to prevent insurgents active in the tribal zone from slipping into Afghanistan.

The Afghan leader sent a specific warning to Pakistani Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud, whom Islamabad believes was responsible for the December assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

“Baitullah Mehsud should know that we will go after him now and hit him in his house,” said Karzai.

Mehsud has vowed to continue “jihad” (holy war) in Afghanistan while pursuing peace negotiations with the new government in Islamabad—an initiative that has sparking growing unease in Washington and Kabul.

In talks with Karzai earlier this month in Kabul, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi insisted that Islamabad was not negotiating with “terrorists” but rather “peace-loving” elements that want regional stability.

Pakistan has already signed a peace deal with pro-Taliban militants led by Maulana Fazlullah in the Swat Valley, about 99 kilometers from Afghanistan.

That has seen soldiers leave the area and the rebels implementing Islamic Sharia law.

“Fazlullah and Mehsud or any one behind them must know this, that today’s Afghanistan is not the voiceless Afghanistan of yesterday. Today it has both the voice, the tools and courage for action,” Karzai said.

“We’ll defeat them and we’ll avenge all that they’ve done in Afghanistan for the past so many years,” he said.

Karzai said that Mehsud and other Pakistani militant leaders had been trained by Islamabad’s intelligence agents to fight against Pakistani Pashtuns and the Afghan people.

“It is the duty of Afghanistan to relieve the Pakistani Pashtuns from this tyranny,” said Karzai, himself a Pashtun, voicing support for the first time for Pakistani Pashtuns since taking office in 2001.

Despite the presence of about 70,000 international troops mainly operating under NATO, the insurgency aimed at toppling the U.S.-backed government in Kabul has gained pace in the past two years.

U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan have come under criticism in Islamabad for carrying out cross-border strikes like the one last week which the coalition said was targeting rebels who had sought refuge across the border in Pakistan.

Islamabad says its soldiers were killed in a “cowardly” attack, one which has strained ties between the allies. Washington has expressed regret over the loss of Pakistani life, but has not admitted responsibility for the 11 deaths.

Karzai’s government suffered a blow on Friday when Taliban militants blasted open the prison in Kandahar city, freeing more than 1,100 prisoners including hundreds of insurgents, according to NATO-led forces.

At least 27 insurgents were killed as Afghan and international troops hunted for the escapees, police and troops said Sunday, but it was not immediately clear if they were escaped prisoners.

So far, 20 escapees have been recaptured, police say.

The prison raid came one day after world donors pledged 20 billion dollars to rebuild Afghanistan at a conference in Paris—but also called on Karzai to strengthen the rule of law.

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11 Comments

some14some at 07:16 AM JST - 16th June

Go ahead if you have green signal from US though India was stopped from doing so.
rjd_jr at 07:50 AM JST - 16th June

Ummm, o.k., sure, almost 7 years after 9/11, the Afghan prez is still talking tough towards the Tali huh?
OssanULTRA at 07:52 AM JST - 16th June

Time to put an end to Pakistan playing both sides of the fence.
Sarge at 09:05 AM JST - 16th June

President Karzai and President Obama are going to get along splendidly.
WilliB at 10:32 AM JST - 16th June

Sarge: Not really. Remember, apostates are hanged in Afghanistan. In the event, Karzai is only spouting hot air. There is no way he can or even wants to take out the little Caliphate in Northern Pakistan. Islam is on the march, get used to it.
skipthesong at 10:58 AM JST - 16th June

does he have the capability to do this?

Besides, why the hell do you tell people you are coming after them? If you are going to do it then do. Worry about the consequences later.
Smythe at 11:42 AM JST - 16th June

I agree with WilliB about Karzai simply tongue-flapping. He does NOT have the capabiility to do what he claims, for he survives on funds handed out by the Americans & some NATO countries ALONG with NATO troops.

Obviously he has opposition Afghanistan people that think differently, he cannot even defend Kabul & needs the protection of UN Forces.

Afghanistan also has War Lords to other Tribes that will not donate him & his party any money for the money must come from NATO countries.

Little chance of him charging into Pakistan for that would be equal to a war with the Pakistan County even to the other UN Countries.

Only country that could hit another contry is the USA along with the okay from NATO, then onto hitting Iraq, on their own, & look at the mess the USA are into now, PLUS that NATO & USA have to go back to clean up things in Afghanistan as the USA promised.

Canada claims there should be another 4,000 troops from other NATO counties to help in Afghanistan & so far France has only offered a few hundred while two choppers are offered by Poland--still in both cases nothing farther then promises.
kinniku at 12:06 PM JST - 16th June

Unless I am mistaken, Afghanistan is still having trouble getting rid of the Taliban in Afghanistan. I think talk of Afghanistan entering and attacking the Taliban in Pakistan are over-optimistic to say the least.
WilliB at 01:21 PM JST - 16th June

Kinniku,

nobody is ever going to get rid of the Taliban, as long as islam is part of the constitution in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Talibs are simply the true believers.

Everybody is still fighting the wrong war. It is ridiculous.
captainjohann at 01:31 PM JST - 16th June

There is nothing like pakistan Taliban or Afghanistan Taliban. Both are trained and nurtured by ISI and pakistan army. This socalled difference and the wording ' SOME WHERRE IN PAKISTAN AFGHAN BORDER" to talk about location of Osama is the game created by american media for the sake of American Public who have to vote in 2009 election.Also aniother spin is churned out that this tribal area had no governance from the days of British. It is wrong. They had political commissars(ISI) from the days of British to govern these areas. The tribal jirga cannot function without help from pakistan government. The recent socalled peace agreement with "Pakistan taliban " is the License to kill Afghans while having TRAINIGN AND REST AND RECREATION IN PAKISTAN. But unfortunately Afghan president doesnot have the army or firepower.He may be talking the language authorised by USA. But Musharaff has always fooled the americans especially in election year they donot want REAL BATTLE with a nuclear power.
adaydream at 01:35 PM JST - 16th June

Ri-i-ight, Karzai is going to attack bad men in Pakistan.

Karzai has been enboldened by george bush that he's some special leader and after hearing Obama's threats and John McCain's rheteric about Iraq, he's running his mouth to hear bit flap. < :-)