海角大神

With unusual bluntness, America鈥檚 top military officer publicly accused intelligence as having a 鈥渓ongstanding relationship鈥� with a US enemy, the Haqqani Network. By zeroing in on this faction within the Afghan insurgency, the US appears to be prodding Pakistan to finally root out militants and attempting to set the parameters for Afghan peace talks.

鈥淚t鈥檚 fairly well known that the ISI has a long-standing relationship with the Haqqani network,鈥� Adm. Mike Mullen told the Pakistan newspaper Dawn before a meeting with Pakistan鈥檚 military chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani. 鈥淗aqqani is supporting, funding, training fighters that are killing Americans and killing coalition partners. And I have a sacred obligation to do all I can to make sure that doesn鈥檛 happen.鈥�

Led by Afghan warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Sirajuddin, the Haqqani Network operates out of Pakistan鈥檚 tribal agency. Holed up with them are intertwined global jihadists from groups that include Al Qaeda. The Pakistani military has led military operations to root out militants in other tribal areas but says it will not be able to tackle North Waziristan anytime soon.

For the Americans, time is running out for military progress on the Afghan border, however.

鈥淭he US announced certain deadlines, they want to start pullout [of Afghanistan] by July 2011, and give up security of Afghanistan by 2014. To do that, they need changes on the grounds quickly,鈥� says Ijaz Khattak, professor of international relations at Pakistan's Peshawar University. 鈥淭he Haqqani Network has become a very serious bone of contention鈥� between the US and Pakistan.

The problems with 'frenemies'

The Haqqanis are by no means the only problem between these 鈥渇renemies.鈥� The recent case of detained CIA contractor Raymond Davis convinced the Pakistanis that US contractors are running amok on their soil. Americans, meanwhile saw a blatant violation of the basic rules of diplomacy 鈥� let alone strategic partnership.

But the Haqqanis represent a more serious problem moving forward. Everyone acknowledges that Pakistan will have a key role to play in any Afghan peace negotiations. That鈥檚 because Pakistan has some leverage over the insurgent groups 鈥� but particularly the Haqqanis.

鈥淧eace talks for [Pakistan] means talking to the Haqqanis,鈥� says Abdul Basit, a researcher at the Pakistani Institute for Peace Studies in Islamabad, during an interview late this month. 鈥淧akistan鈥檚 bidding will be done through Haqqanis.鈥�

The Americans, however, 鈥渕ake it clear, absolutely no talks with the Haqqanis,鈥� says Mr. Basit. The Haqqanis are intertwined with the mix of militants in Waziristan, but a key US goal is to delink the Taliban from global jihad.

鈥淧eople talk about how [the insurgents] have to renounce Al Qaeda, but I don鈥檛 talk about Al Qaeda, I talk about Waziristan,鈥� says Michael Semple, a Harvard University-based expert on the peace process. Militants there 鈥渁re operating in a totally different space, which is not just about grabbing power in Afghanistan [but] about the global jihad.鈥�

Mullen's frankness

Ties between Pakistan intelligence and Haqqani are not exactly a secret, as Mullen himself said. In an intercepted phone call, General Kayani once described the elder Haqqani as a 鈥渟trategic asset.鈥� But top US officials rarely put their name to any such public assertion since it contradicts Pakistan鈥檚 official line that Haqqani is an adversary.

Mullen鈥檚 frankness raises the stakes over Haqqani. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not an ultimatum, but it鈥檚 definitely a hardening of relations,鈥� says retired Gen. Talat Masood in Islamabad. 鈥淎merica is being very clear that [Pakistan] cannot have relationships with these groups.鈥�

Other observers worry that the blunt approach will only backfire.

鈥淚 would have confined it to private discussions,鈥� says Najmuddin Shaikh, a former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan. 鈥淣ow if the Pakistanis then take action, they鈥檝e established once again they are puppets of the Americans. This is not really the position you want to be in.鈥�