U.S. proposes joint patrols of Pak-Afghan border

Islamabad, Oct 5 (PTI) The United States has asked Pakistan to undertake joint military patrols of its border with Afghanistan along with N.A.T.O. forces and Afghan troops to end cross-border raids and fight against Taliban militants.

The U.S. also sought the participation of Pakistan in a major winter offensive against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

At a recent video news conference at the Pentagon, Gen
David McKiernan, top N.A.T.O. commander in Afghanistan, told
journalists in Washington that a joint patrol could end
cross-border raids and deny the Taliban militants their safe
havens inside Pakistan, Dawn news reported.

"It is a very open, porous border, but the idea of a
combined security effort there with Pakistani military,
Frontier Corpsmen, Afghan border police with I.S.A.F.
coordinated along the border I think is a very powerful idea
and certainly I would like to pursue that in the future," he
said.

According to diplomatic sources, U.S. officials
discussed this idea with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari
as well during his recent visit to New York.

Zardari said, "This is not a new idea. It has been
discussed with us. We are willing to consider it but no
decision yet."

N.A.T.O.'s International Security Assistance Force
(I.S.A.F.) has the majority of foreign troops in Afghanistan,
including those from the U.S. and Britain.

Meanwhile, the U.S. media, quoting unnamed Pentagon
sources, reported that U.S. commanders in Afghanistan are
pushing for a winter offensive against the Taliban in a bid
to change the pace and direction of the war.

The reports said that the U.S. also expects Pakistan to
support this offensive.

Diplomatic sources in Washington told Dawn that the U.S.
will continue to push for joint patrols even if the proposed
winter offensive does not take place.

Pakistan will also be required to prevent militants
hiding in Fata from crossing over to Afghanistan to help the
Taliban.

The proposed joint patrol will also help achieve this
target but it is not linked to the offensive, which is yet to
be finalised.

Afghanistan's Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak,
who was recently in Washington told journalists that he had
formally proposed the creation of a joint military force in
his talks with senior U.S. officials.

He said that such a force, if created, would fight
militants on both sides of the border with Pakistan.