US military talks conclude

Some differences persist; thorny points include whether or not to support Northern Alliance, action against Pakistan-based groups

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and United States military talks completed here Wednesday "without discussing any operation plan."

There was a general consensus on exchange of views, Pakistan's military spokesman Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi told The News. A US military and intelligence team, headed by Brigadier-General Kavin Chilton, arrived in Islamabad last Sunday and held intensive talks on information sharing for consecutive three days.

"The Pak-US military talks have completed," said Maj Gen Qureshi. The US delegation was a mid-level US mission, and it completed first phase of exchange of views with their Pakistani counterparts.

When asked, he said no operation plan came under discussion in these military talks. The operation plan was not supposed to be discussed, he added. The US administration asked Pakistan for exchange of information, use of its airspace and logistics, though in broader terms Pakistan fully supported the global campaign against terrorism.

It is learnt that the present US military delegation in collaboration with Pakistani military officials had completed the exercise "assessment of the situation" after evolving consensus on exchange of views.

This US delegation will be returning to Washington today where it would brief the Pentagon bosses, as Pakistan expects another senior level US military delegation to land here for talks within a fortnight.

AP adds: Pakistani and US defense and intelligence officials have reached broad agreement on major points of an operational plan that includes attacks on camps in Afghanistan, senior Pakistani officials said.

However, they said some sticking points remain. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials said both sides want to minimize the use of ground forces in any strike in Afghanistan. The officials said the attack plan was part of a broader strategy on combating terrorism in the region being worked out by the United States and Pakistan.

The sources said some differences had emerged between the two sides during the talks, which began Monday between high-ranking Pakistani officials and an American delegation including senior defence and intelligence representatives.

The points of disagreement include whether or not to lend support to the Northern Alliance, the opposition guerrillas fighting the Taliban in northern Afghanistan; what action if any is warranted against Pakistan-based militant groups; and whether or not the United Nations should approve any operation against Afghanistan.

Some differences were resolved Tuesday when the some US delegation members held a 40-minute meeting with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the sources said. The sources did not specify which points had been resolved.

During Tuesday's talks, the Pakistani and US intelligence officials exchanged information on bin Laden's whereabouts, the sources said. Also participating in the talks were Pakistan's director of military operations and the special operations wing of Pakistani intelligence.

A source close to Pakistan's defence ministry said the two sides were discussing specifics of an operational plan with their counterparts, and that another American delegation was expected soon.

The Northern Alliance is the sticking point since it is supported by India, Pakistan's cross town rival and fellow bearer of nuclear weapons.

How many of the details of what was discussed were relayed immediately to the Taliban and Bin Laden by the Paks? I hope no actual attack plans were discussed at this meeting.

We should work with the Northern Alliance (intel, terrain, etc.), but we should not arm them directly, unless we plan to keep a military presence in Afghanistan for the next 45 or 55 years. Compare Japan, Germany, and South Korea today to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the still non-existent Kurdistan.

I would hope none since Pakistan is if anything pro-Taliban.

I'm sure our commanders wouldn't share anything with the Paks that the Taliban doesn't already know. If the Paks know where Bin Laden is, I bet they aren't telling us. I hope we already know where he is and can track his comings and goings until we can either grab him or take him out.

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