The Pakistani military has been giving sanctuary to the Haqqani network, a jihadist militia based in the northern tribal areas of Pakistan.
The main reason why Pakistan supports the Haqqani network is that it wants a proxy to represent its security interests in Afghanistan. Pakistan wants the Haqqani network to convince the Pashtuns, who live along the Afghan-Pakistani border, to help defend Pakistan against such groups as the Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras, who the Pakistani generals consider as close to India. In addition to insecurity, the fact that India, Russia, and Iran all provide financial support to their own favorite groups in Afghanistan has also compelled Pakistan to support the Haqqani network.
Pakistan’s worst nightmare is a simultaneous attack from the unfriendly Afghan government in the west and India in the east.
The Haqqani network recently attacked the American embassy in Kabul and assassinated an Afghan diplomat. Just a few days after the attack, the chairman of America’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen declared that the Haqqani network has ties to Pakistan. However, there is no clear proof that Pakistan ordered the attacks on the American embassy.
Oddly enough, America has not yet designated the Haqqani network as a terrorist organization. U.S. drone strikes against the Haqqani network have not been as successful as those against such terrorist organizations as Al-Qaeda.
http://www.economist.com/node/21531042
By Andrew Elam
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