US perturbed over peace deals in tribal area

WASHINGTON—The United States is concerned about a possible peace deal between Pakistan and Taliban fighters along the border with Afghanistan, the White House said Wednesday. “We are concerned about it and what we encourage them to do is to continue to fight against the terrorists and to not disrupt any security or military operations that are ongoing in order to help prevent a safe haven for terrorists there,” said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.
She spoke as Pakistani officials and a spokesman for the Islamist militia confirmed that the new government in Islamabad has drafted a peace agreement with Taliban fighters along the border’s troubled tribal belt. “I don’t know if we have an official announcement out of Pakistan yet so let me decline to comment on any specifics,” Perino told reporters. “But in general, yes, we have been concerned about these types of approaches because we don’t think that they work,” she said.
The government launched talks with the rebels soon after winning elections in February, amid concerns that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s military approach was spawning more violence. The aim is to transform a month-long lull in a wave of suicide bombings into a permanent peace with the Taliban, who have fought the government since Islamabad joined the US-led “war on terror” in 2001.
“Work is in progress swiftly on a new peace agreement with the Taliban Movement of Pakistan,” a senior security official told newsmen, adding that “indirect negotiations” through tribal elders were ongoing.
“The draft agreement contains clauses under which both sides will not take armed action against each other. Military will be withdrawn from certain areas, attacks on security forces will be stopped by militants,” the official said.
The chief spokesman for the country’s umbrella militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban (Taliban Movement) Pakistan, Maulvi Omar, confirmed that “our negotiations with government are going on.” “There is significant positive development, we have accepted most of each others’ demands. In next few days we hope that a positive outcome is achieved,” Omar said.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in suicide bombings since the start of last year, including former premier Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated at an election rally in December. The government blamed her killing on Al-Qaeda-linked tribal warlord Baitullah Mehsud.
Dawn, a respected English-language daily, said the draft 15-point peace agreement also involves the exchange of prisoners and said it had the backing of senior political and military figures.
Authorities freed a senior pro-Taliban Pakistani militant, Sufi Mohammad, earlier this week after his banned hardline group, Tahreek Nifaz-e-Shariat Mohammadi, pledged to renounce violence.
The aim is to transform a month-long lull in a wave of suicide bombings into a permanent peace with the Taliban, who have fought the government since Islamabad joined the US-led “war on terror” in 2001.—Agencies