US Vice-President Dick Cheney made surprise visits to
Afghanistan and Pakistan Monday to discuss a planned spring
offensive against the Taliban after the most violent year since the
group was ousted in 2001.
Cheney pressed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to step up
efforts to combat the resurgent Taliban and Al-Qaida.
"He asked President Musharraf that Pakistan should do more," a
Pakistani official said after the meeting between Cheney and
Musharraf at the presidential palace.
Cheney arrived in the Pakistani capital from Oman, and after a
one-on-one lunch with Musharraf flew to Bagram airbase in
Afghanistan. He was due to hold talks with President Hamid Karzai
later in the day.
"Cheney expressed US apprehensions of regrouping of Al-Qaida in
the tribal areas and called for concerted efforts in countering the
threat," the Pakistani president's office said in a statement.
"He expressed serious US concerns on the intelligence being
picked up of an impending Taliban and Al-Qaida spring offensive
against allied forces in Afghanistan," it said.
Cheney's visit to Islamabad coincided with one by Margaret
Beckett, Britain's foreign secretary. Beckett also held talks with
Musharraf Monday morning.
The United States is bolstering its troop presence in
Afghanistan by 3,200 to help repel fierce spring fighting
anticipated after the bloodiest year there since the Taliban were
ousted by US-led forces in 2001.
The harsh Afghan winters usually lead to a temporary lull in
fighting but the violence is expected to increase again soon with
the arrival of warm weather.
Tough message from US
The New York Times reported Monday that President
George W. Bush had decided to send an unusually tough message to
Musharraf, warning him that the newly elected Democratic US
Congress could cut aid unless his forces became more aggressive in
hunting down Al-Qaida operatives.
Pakistan has been fighting Islamist guerrillas based in its
tribal lands, but while hundreds of Al-Qaida fighters have been
arrested and handed over to the United States, barely any Taliban
leaders have been caught.
Musharraf says Taliban fighters do operate from Pakistan, but
says the militants' leaders are in Afghanistan, and most Taliban
activity originates there.
UK to add 1,400 troops
Britain's Defense Secretary Des Browne said Monday he will
deploy 1,400 extra troops to Afghanistan to tackle a threatened
Taliban spring offensive.
Browne's announcement will bring the total troop level in
Afghanistan to around 7,700 until 2009, meaning Britain will have
more forces based there than in Iraq for the first time since
2003.
The United States has about 27,000 troops in Afghanistan, of
which about 15,000 are in the NATO force and the rest on missions
ranging from counter-terrorism to training.
(China Daily via agencies February 27, 2007)
