Major General David Rodriguez, the commander of United States troops in Afghanistan, on Saturday described the opening of the first of six joint US-Pak-Afghan military intelligence centres along the Pak-Afghan border as “a giant step forward in co-operation, communication, and co-ordination”.
He was speaking to around 100 military personnel from the US, Afghanistan and Pakistan who had gathered at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a small border outpost. “This facility represents our best opportunity to move forward in our common mission to rid this region of the scourge of terrorism,” Rodriguez said. “The border co-ordination centre is the cornerstone upon which future co-operative efforts will grow.”
The centres represent the next step in American efforts to encourage the South Asian neighbours to work together to combat the Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters who take refuge in the region.
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