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Pakistan army anger at NATO border tactics after forcing militants out

15 April 2010 04:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Fresh from a bloody victory against the Taleban in this rugged frontier outpost, the commander of Pakistani forces has lashed out at the NATO operation across the border in Afghanistan, where he says hundreds of militant fighters have sought refuge under the noses of American troops, APA reports quoting â€œTimes Onlineâ€.
Colonel Nauman Saeed, the commander of Pakistani forces in the Bajaur tribal agency, has led his men on a two-year campaign to drive out thousands of militants, including al-Qaeda members. He lost 150 soldiers during the operation, which culminated in a battle over the militant headquarters in a series of tunnels dug out of rock.
At the height of their power the local Pakistani Taleban collected taxes, ran a primitive justice system and used Bajaur as a base to build bombs.
Colonel Saeed should be pleased with the operation, which has imposed Pakistani rule on the area for the first time in the countryâ€™s history.
Instead, he points to a map over his desk that shows an area marked in red where insurgents are still active along the border with Afghanistanâ€™s Kunar province, which includes the Korengal Valley from where US forces have withdrawn. â€œWe not only feel frustrated, we feel let down,â€ he told The Times, adding that there was intelligence to suggest that 700 Pakistani Taleban were just across the border. â€œWe still see no action (by the Americans). They are doing what they can do â€” we say they need to do more.â€
His views, echoed by military and intelligence officers in Islamabad, mark a dramatic turn in the conflict. For years, America and Afghanistan accused the Pakistanis of not doing enough to tackle the insurgents on their territory. Since Pakistan began its campaign two years ago it is Islamabad that is complaining that America, Nato and the Afghans are not pulling their weight.
â€œThey (the insurgents) have a more open, hospitable playing field over there (in Afghanistan),â€ he said.
Colonel Saeed also criticised Western aid agencies that promised to help reconstruction and development in the tribal areas but have so far done little in his area of operations.
â€œWe have a share of the development budget and we have spent every penny,â€ he said. â€œBut it is too little. The scale of what is needed is much bigger.â€