US presses Pak to fight terror groups as Afghan crisis escalates: diplomatic documents leaked

Islamabad:

The Biden administration is quietly pressuring Pakistan to cooperate in the fight against terrorist groups such as ISIS-K and Al-Qaeda after Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, leaked series of documents show and diplomatic cables addressed to a major American media.

The Dawn newspaper published an article on Saturday citing a report published by Politico on Friday on a multitude of diplomatic messages exchanged between Washington and Islamabad recently after the seizure of power by Taliban terrorists in neighboring Afghanistan.

The messages show that “the Biden administration is quietly pressuring Pakistan to cooperate in the fight against terrorist groups such as ISIS-Khorasan and Al-Qaeda following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, ”the Politico, which obtained the sensitive but unclassified cables and other materials, reported.

In response, Pakistan “hinted that Islamabad deserves greater public recognition for its role in helping those now fleeing Afghanistan, even though it downplayed fears of what Taliban rule might mean. on the country, ”according to the report.

The messages show that Washington views Pakistan as “a nation with ties to the Afghan Taliban whose cooperation in the fight against terrorism can be helpful.” .

China, Pakistan’s closest ally, has been coordinating closely with it the emerging situation in war-torn Afghanistan since Islamabad is said to have some influence over Taliban terrorists.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the complete withdrawal of US troops on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. This forced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country to the United Arab Emirates.

Taliban terrorists captured every major city in Afghanistan within days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the United States and its allies melted away.

Thousands of Afghan nationals and foreigners have fled the country to escape the new Taliban regime and seek asylum in various countries, including the United States and many European countries, resulting in utter chaos and deaths.

On Wednesday, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland included Pakistan on a list of countries that have provided “essential support” to US evacuation efforts.

“We are extremely grateful to these countries, which have helped the Americans and others move to safety.” Previous statements by the United States had omitted Pakistan.

The talks between the United States and Pakistan “suggest that the two governments are far from on track, even now that the United States has withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan,” observed the Politico report.

In a discussion with a US official, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Washington Asad Majeed Khan appeared to question reports that the Taliban was carrying out revenge attacks in Afghanistan.

Citing Pakistani “field observations”, Khan told US officials that the Afghan Taliban “were not seeking revenge, and in fact they were returning home to assure the Afghans there would be no retaliation.” .

US State Department official Ervin Massinga, however, said “he has seen contrary information and hopes the Taliban does not seek revenge.”

The leaked documents include messages from the United States Embassy in Islamabad, telling Washington they were “strained by the Afghan refugee crisis” and seeking advice on how to handle the situation.

The meeting between Massinga and Ambassador Khan took place on August 26, the day some 170 Afghans and 13 American soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport by ISIS.

US officials blamed the attack on the ISIS group, seen as a rival to the Afghan Taliban. An official description of the meeting shows that Ambassador Khan offered his condolences and the use of Pakistani medical facilities.

The US official suggested, however, that Pakistan could help on other fronts. “Acknowledging the tragedy, Mr. Massinga stressed the mutual interest of Pakistan and the United States in targeting ISIS and Al Qaeda.”

In response, Ambassador Khan “acknowledged that ISIS was also a common enemy for the Taliban.”

Massinga expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s role in helping evacuees from Afghanistan, according to meeting notes. The portions seen by Politico did not specify exactly what Pakistan was doing.

At one point in the interview, however, Ambassador “Khan hinted that the Pakistani government would also appreciate public recognition of the country’s assistance on the evacuation front.”

An Aug. 20 statement of gratitude by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to several countries for their help in the evacuations did not mention Pakistan.

In addition to questioning information about the Taliban retaliation, Khan also said that “the Taliban did not prevent any third country national from coming to [the Kabul airport] but acknowledged that there were problems with the Afghans passing through the checkpoints. “

Khan also highlighted “Pakistan’s effort to push the Taliban (while acknowledging that it was increasingly difficult to get in touch with them) to form an inclusive government in Kabul.”