Pakistan`s Vow To `Crack Down On The Taliban Appears To Not Include The Leader of The Taliban Himself

Photo: Taliban new leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is seen in an undated photograph, posted on a Taliban twitter feed on May 25, 2016, and identified separately by several Taliban officials, who declined be named. Social Media/File Photo

Reuters: Exclusive: Afghan Taliban leader taught, preached in Pakistan, despite government vow to crack down

For 15 years until his sudden disappearance in May, the new leader of the Afghan Taliban insurgency openly taught and preached at the Al Haaj mosque in a dusty town in southwestern Pakistan, associates and students told Reuters.

Details of Haibatullah Akhundzada's life in Kuchlak, near the city of Quetta, have not previously been reported, and could put further pressure on Pakistan to do more to crack down on militants openly living there.

The row over how far Islamabad will go to get rid of jihadi fighters and leaders has hurt relations between Pakistan and Washington, in part because nearly 10,000 American soldiers are in Afghanistan supporting the war against insurgents.

A spokesman for the U.S. State Department's South Asia bureau said it was not "not in a position to confirm Haibatullah Akhundzada's whereabouts, past or present."

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WNU Editor: Since the beginning of this blog I have always heaped scorn on Pakistan and their unreliability as an ally in the war against terror and against groups like the Taliban. This is just one more example among many that proves this point.

US Think Tank: Pakistan Helped Train Taliban, Gave Info On US Troops

From The International Herald Tribune:

KABUL, Afghanistan: Pakistani intelligence agents and paramilitary forces have helped train Taliban insurgents and have given them information about American troop movements in Afghanistan, said a report published Monday by a U.S. think tank.

The study by the RAND Corp. also warned that the U.S. will face "crippling, long-term consequences" in Afghanistan if Taliban sanctuaries in Pakistan are not eliminated.

It echoes recent statements by American generals, who have increased their warnings that militant safe havens in Pakistan are threatening efforts in Afghanistan. The study was funded by the U.S. Defense Department

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News From Other Sources On the Rand Study:
US think tank: Pakistan helped Taliban insurgents -- Associated Press
U.S. study says Taliban getting help from Pakistan's intelligence officials -- RTT News
US think tank: Pakistan helped Taliban insurgents -- Yahoo News
The Rand Study

My Comment: The Rand Study is a must read for those who wish to understand the situation in Afghanistan better. It is a long report .... 177 pages long .... but it is detailed and observant of what is happening.

In a nutshell .... if the report is accurate .... Nato, the Afghan people, and the U.S. are in for a very long struggle.