More Taliban arrests hint at policy shift in Pakistan

Source: McClatchy Newspapers / Miami Herald

More Taliban arrests hint at policy shift in Pakistan

By SAEED SHAH
McClatchy Newspapers

KABUL -- Pakistan's latest arrests of senior Afghan Taliban figures and al-Qaida operatives have raised the prospect that Islamabad has begun a major strategic shift away from backing its favorite Afghan militants. Analysts cautioned, however that Pakistan's aim may be to apply just enough pressure to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table on terms acceptable to Islamabad.

A combination of the new Pakistani moves and the U.S. military offensive in Afghanistan's Taliban heartland might serve to convince some militants that negotiations hold more promise for them than continued warfare does.

Mullah Abdul Salam and Mullah Mir Mohammad, respectively the Taliban "shadow governors" of the northern Afghan provinces of Kunduz and Baghlan, were captured in Quetta, Pakistan, the official governor of Kunduz province, Mohammad Omar, told McClatchy Newspapers on Thursday.

The Taliban run a shadow, or parallel, government in 33 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, according to a NATO assessment.

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then it wouldn't have any effect on the 33 "shadow provincial governments" of Pakistan.

I have serious doubts about anything official coming out of Pakistan. It seems to me that all they would have to do to win Brownie points would be to round up some rough-looking guys who weren't particularly cozy with the current government, and label them "Taliban" or whatever.

The downside for Pakistan if the U.S. is successful is that it will lose influence in Afganistan if it continues to support the Taliban. The odd thing about our Pakistan "ally" is that they have been supporting insurgents during the past eight years. The U.S. offensive in Afganistan threatens to marginzalize Pakistan's influence, so Pakistan is hedging its bet by suddenly discoverying and apprehending members of the Taliban.