Fire fighters try to extinguish burning oil tankers, transporting fuel to foreign forces in Afghanistan, after they were attacked by unidentified gunmen in the outskirts of Islamabad on October 4, 2010. (REUTERS)
US officials told reporters that Pakistani spy agents are urging the Taliban to step up attacks on NATO and in Afghanistan.
Bill Roggio at The Long War Journal reported:
For the second night in a row, The Wall Street Journal has the story on US officials' mounting frustration with Pakistan. According to the WSJ, US defense and intelligence officials and even Taliban commanders are now saying that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence directorate is urging the Taliban to step up the violence in Afghanistan:
Members of Pakistan's spy agency are pressing Taliban field commanders to fight the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan, some U.S. officials and Afghan militants say, a development that undercuts a key element of the Pentagon's strategy for ending the war.
The explosive accusation is the strongest yet in a series of U.S. criticisms of Pakistan, and shows a deteriorating relationship with an essential ally in the Afghan campaign. The U.S. has provided billions of dollars in military and development aid to Pakistan for its support.
The U.S. and Afghanistan have sought to persuade midlevel Taliban commanders to lay down their weapons in exchange for jobs or cash. The most recent Afghan effort at starting a peace process took place this week in Kabul.
But few Taliban have given up the fight, officials say. Some Taliban commanders and U.S. officials say militant leaders are being pressured by officers from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency not to surrender.
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