Pakistan losing war against emboldened insurgents: Washington Post

Western and Pakistani military officials feel that Islamabad is losing the war against emboldened insurgent forces like al Qaeda and the Taliban, saying that militants have enhanced their ability to threaten not only Pakistan, but also the US and Europe.

Washington, Oct 4 : Western and Pakistani military officials feel that Islamabad is losing the war against "emboldened insurgent forces" like al Qaeda and the Taliban, saying that militants have enhanced their ability to threaten not only Pakistan, but also the US and Europe.

According to a Washington Post report, the depth of the problem in Pakistan became clear in recent months in the wake of the collapse of regional peace deals between the government and tribals.

The government has deferred developing a new strategy to defeat insurgents until the political crisis involving President General Pervez Musharraf is resolved, said the daily.

"They've had a chance to regroup and reorganise," a Western military official in Pakistan was quoted as saying. "They're well equipped. They're clearly getting training from somewhere. And, they're using more and more advanced tactics."

The Pakistan military is said to be considering pulling back from the fight, at least partially, because of mounting losses, the Daily Times quoted the Post report as saying.

"(Pakistani security forces) are not trained for a counterinsurgency. It's not their number one priority. It's not even their number two priority. These are the reasons things aren't going their way," said a Pakistani official.

Admitting that there is a need for a new strategy now as the old one has gone awry, Pakistani military officials said that no decisions were likely until the question of who is to rule Pakistan is settled, as General Musharraf is struggling to stay in office and is expected to step down as army chief soon.

The main criticism of the deals, both in Pakistan and in the West, had been that they gave al Qaeda and the Taliban sanctuary in which to train, plot and launch attacks. Now, security experts say Pakistan is paying the price for not confronting the problem head-on, with insurgent groups capitalising on their newfound strength, the Post noted.

ANI