04-29-2009, 02:00 AM
Pakistan army chief hits back at US
By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad and James Lamont in New,Delhi
Published: April 27 2009 03:00 | Last updated: April 27 2009 03:00
Pakistan's army chief has reacted angrily to US dismay that his forces have not acted to repel a Taliban insurgency advancing on Islamabad, the country's capital and home to some of its nuclear assets.
In a rare statement, Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani condemned at the weekend the "pronouncements by outside powers raising doubts on the future of the country", and insisted his troops were ready for battle against any threat. Pakistani security forces yesterday launched an offensive to stop the Taliban's advance in the north-west of the country.
Gen Kiyani's statement was interpreted as a sharp rebuff to comments by Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, who last week said Pakistan's government was in danger of abdicating responsibility to its people in the face of the Taliban advance. She had expressed bewilderment that one of the world's largest armies appeared unable to confront dozens of militants.
The army, which has received about $1bn (â¬770m, £685m) a year from the US since 2001, is sensitive to the widely held view in Pakistan that it is fighting America's war against al-Qaeda along the border with Afghanistan. But it also faces criticism that it is unwilling to sever longstanding ties with militant groups that it once sponsored in insurgencies in Afghanistan and India, even as these turn against Pakistan.
The army "never has and never will hesitate to sacrifice, whatever it may take, to ensure [the] safety and well-being of the people of Pakistan and the country's territorial integrity", the general said. "A country of 170m resilient people under a democratic dispensation, strongly supported by the army, is capable of handling any crisis that it may confront."
International pressure has mounted for Pakistan to step up its fight against militants who have taken charge of the Swat valley, where they have vowed to lay the foundation of an Islamic state. Earlier this month Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's president, signed a law permitting the introduction of sharia, or Islamic law, in Swat in return for Taliban militants laying down their arms.
Rather than moving towards conciliation, the Taliban have shown signs of expanding their influence outside Swat into nearby regions. Last week a Taliban militant alarmed Pakistan's allies when he said publicly that Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda's leader, would be welcomed as a "brother" in Taliban-controlled territory.
"[Gen Kiyani's] remarks tell us that the army, under pressure from the Americans, is drawing a red line against the Taliban," said one senior western diplomat.
The army yesterday clashed with Taliban militants in Dir, a remote northern region near Swat. A government official said the preparations in Dir were a precursor to a military campaign against Taliban militants in the area unless they turned back voluntarily.
On Friday the government claimed that Taliban militants had vacated Buner, south of Swat, after occupying it a day earlier.
Precarious position, Page 5
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad and James Lamont in New,Delhi
Published: April 27 2009 03:00 | Last updated: April 27 2009 03:00
Pakistan's army chief has reacted angrily to US dismay that his forces have not acted to repel a Taliban insurgency advancing on Islamabad, the country's capital and home to some of its nuclear assets.
In a rare statement, Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani condemned at the weekend the "pronouncements by outside powers raising doubts on the future of the country", and insisted his troops were ready for battle against any threat. Pakistani security forces yesterday launched an offensive to stop the Taliban's advance in the north-west of the country.
Gen Kiyani's statement was interpreted as a sharp rebuff to comments by Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, who last week said Pakistan's government was in danger of abdicating responsibility to its people in the face of the Taliban advance. She had expressed bewilderment that one of the world's largest armies appeared unable to confront dozens of militants.
The army, which has received about $1bn (â¬770m, £685m) a year from the US since 2001, is sensitive to the widely held view in Pakistan that it is fighting America's war against al-Qaeda along the border with Afghanistan. But it also faces criticism that it is unwilling to sever longstanding ties with militant groups that it once sponsored in insurgencies in Afghanistan and India, even as these turn against Pakistan.
The army "never has and never will hesitate to sacrifice, whatever it may take, to ensure [the] safety and well-being of the people of Pakistan and the country's territorial integrity", the general said. "A country of 170m resilient people under a democratic dispensation, strongly supported by the army, is capable of handling any crisis that it may confront."
International pressure has mounted for Pakistan to step up its fight against militants who have taken charge of the Swat valley, where they have vowed to lay the foundation of an Islamic state. Earlier this month Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's president, signed a law permitting the introduction of sharia, or Islamic law, in Swat in return for Taliban militants laying down their arms.
Rather than moving towards conciliation, the Taliban have shown signs of expanding their influence outside Swat into nearby regions. Last week a Taliban militant alarmed Pakistan's allies when he said publicly that Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda's leader, would be welcomed as a "brother" in Taliban-controlled territory.
"[Gen Kiyani's] remarks tell us that the army, under pressure from the Americans, is drawing a red line against the Taliban," said one senior western diplomat.
The army yesterday clashed with Taliban militants in Dir, a remote northern region near Swat. A government official said the preparations in Dir were a precursor to a military campaign against Taliban militants in the area unless they turned back voluntarily.
On Friday the government claimed that Taliban militants had vacated Buner, south of Swat, after occupying it a day earlier.
Precarious position, Page 5
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009