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| Pakistan, Afghan, US military officials discuss security |
| 2005-08-24 |
| Top Pakistani, Afghan and US military officials met in Rawalpindi on Wednesday and examined ways to deepen their level of military-to-military relationship in the interest of long term regional stability, officials said. "The Tripartite Commission session began with a series of briefings focused on enhancing regional stability and furthering security measures taken by Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Coalition in advance of the Afghan national Assembly and Provincial Council Elections on 18 September 2005," said a statement issued at the conclusion of the meeting. "The parties noted recent improvement in cooperation and information sharing and reaffirmed their commitment to enduring operations against Al-Qaeda and associated militants." The Tripartite Commission, comprised of senior military and diplomatic representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States, held its twelfth meeting. "All parties noted the significance of the first bilateral Afghan-Pakistani staff exchanges, which took place on 14 July 2005 in Kabul on 9 August, 2005 in Islamabad." Representatives of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) attended the session as observers, the statement said. "All parties welcomed the NATO / ISAF observers and looked forward to their participation in the future meetings given ISAF / NATO's expanding role in Afghanistan," said the statement. The Tripartite Commission will meet again in October 2005. This meeting was the first in which Afghanistan and Pakistan were represented at the four star general level. Delegates included General Bismullah Khan, Chief of the General Staff of the Afghan National Army, General Ahsan Saleem Hyat, Vice Chief of the Army Staff of the Pakistan Army and Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, Commander Coalition Forces Commander in Afghanistan. commission meeting in Rawalpindi. Foreign Office Spokesman Naeem Khan said on Monday that the meeting would discuss a host of issues with a special focus on border security, incidents of terrorism and economic and trade links between the two neighbours. Military officials from three countries regularly hold meetings to discuss the security situation, especially reviewing the border situation. The Wednesday meeting assumed much importance due to the next month's parliamentary elections in Afghanistan. Pakistan says it will deploy 4000 additional troops along its borders with Afghanistan ahead of the elections to check illegal cross-border movement. Some 70,000 of Pakistani troops have been deployed in the rugged, mountainous hinterlands of the North West Frontier and the southwestern province of Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, to hunt for Taliban and Al-Qaeda leaders thought to have taken refuge in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal areas. The presence of the troops is also considered essential to efforts to thwart the suspected movement of militants across border terrain that is difficult to police, Pakistani authorities said. The tribal agencies of North Waziristan and South Waziristan, both of which lie just across the border from the three "flashpoint" Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Khowst, have been cited as likely sanctuaries for Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives for over two years. American, Afghan and Pakistani officials will assess the recent progress in combating al-Qaeda and Taliban remnants, and will share intelligence information, sources said. Formed in 2003 to resolve security issues between its member states, the commission is mainly tasked security situation along the Pak-Afghan border and to address to each other concern. |
| Posted by:Wheresh Ebback3540 |