Thomko Petro Chemical Blog

The evidence of Pakistan's role in sustaining the Taliban came in a stunning PBS documentary aired Tuesday night. 

Titled "Return of the Taliban", the documentary minced no words or images in showing Musharraf's army continued to patronize militants, and that he had essentially cut a deal with them after being humiliated by al Qaeda.

But the Pakistani dictator bristled at questions about why Pakistan's commitment, shouting, "If Pakistan isn't doing more, who the hell is doing more?"

Many analysts have asserted that Pakistan has never really forsaken the Taliban even post 9/11, hoping to return its barbaric wards to power in Kabul and retain its strategic foothold once U.S. withdraws from Afghanistan under domestic public pressure and military setbacks.

According to the PBS documentary, a reporter, Hayatullah Khan, obtained proof that U.S. forces killed a rebel leader inside Pakistan. When news of the rebel's death became public, Pakistan claimed their forces had killed the rebel, and that it has not allowed the U.S. to act inside their border.

The reporter was killed, and found with five bullet wounds, hands tied with government issued handcuffs. His family says his report embarrassed the government, and this led to his death.

Rather than continue fighting the Taliban, the Bush administration is now willing to broker an agreement with the Taliban.

That's right, Republican Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist visited Afghanistan last weekend, and told reporters that the Taliban fighters were "too numerous and too popular" to be defeated, and "you need to bring them (Taliban) into a more transparent type of government... And if that's accomplished, we'll be successful."

Taking the Senator's advice, President Bush persuaded Afghan President Karzai, who is opposed to the Taliban, to be patient, and see if Pakistan can assist with brokering an agreement with the Taliban.

This was the substance of the "big meeting" with Bush, Musharraf and Karzai last week.
  
Wonder what our troops, and the NATO troops on the ground think about this!

Source: The Times of India