Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Increased Pressure and Tension

Pakistan continues to receive warnings from international community, in particular the U.S. after the death of Osama Bin Laden on its soil. For years, Afghanistan has been claiming that terrorists are trained and brainwashed outside its borders and the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the world's most wanted top terrorist substantiated the claim. The killing does not indicate any end to the overall battle against the terrorists. The Taliban militants and the two other insurgent groups- Hezb-e-Islami Hekmatyar and Haqqani Network-that are called the satellite branches of Al-Qaeda are still gathering momentum to challenge Afghan government and international community in Afghanistan.

International community intervened in Afghanistan because it was ruled by these very lunatic fringes that have provided harbor to the world terrorists that had jeopardized global security. It is therefore important to make sure that they are defeated and weakened enough so that Afghanistan would not fall to their vicious hands once again.

For that, it is important that other Al-Qaeda senior leaders and affiliates are chased down and captured in the region. On Monday, May 16, the head of Congressional Committee for Foreign Relations told Pakistan that the U.S. members of congress have tough questions for the country. In a veiled warning to the Pakistani security establishment, made up of the powerful military and the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, he said: "The road ahead will not be defined by words.

It will be defined by actions." On Tuesday, May 17, 2011, the situation got more intense as NATO helicopters from Afghanistan intruded into northwest Pakistan, wounding two in a troop. The incident led to prompting a protest from the military already seething over the secret U.S. operation to kill Osama bin Laden.

The Pakistani military issued a statement confirming two NATO helicopters had entered Pakistan at the Admi Kot border post and that the army had lodged a strong protest and demanded a meeting with NATO military commanders. But NATO forces said, "Our initial reports indicate that two ISAF helicopters were in the area in support of FOB (forward operating base) Tillman, as the FOB had been receiving intermittent direct and indirect fire from across the Pakistani border." It remains to open question that how Pakistan would respond to increased pressure to eliminate the terrorist networks on its soil.