U.S. Officials Back Swat Peace Accord?

The Telegraph is reporting that U.S. officials in Islamabad have secretly backed the ‘peace agreement’ between the Pakistani government and the Taliban which ends military operations in Swat in exchange for the implementation of sharia or Islamic law:

American officials in Islamabad said they hoped it would divide Fazlullah’s Swat Taliban and his father-in-law’s TNSM from Baitullah Mehsud’s Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “The strategy has to be to divide the two groups. The TNSM and Baitullah’s TTP found some common cause briefly, but a peace deal will separate them,” said one US official, who explained that while Mehsud’s TTP is part of the global jihad, Maulana Radio is regarded as more focused on local issues and the campaign for Sharia law. One source suggested it reflected the “smart power” thinking outlined by Hillary Clinton in her Senate confirmation hearing as secretary of state.

But Baitullah Mehsud’s camp has no problem with the peace agreement:

Mehsud’s Taliban on Tuesday night appeared unruffled by the prospect of a peace deal in Swat. “If a true Sharia was enforced, we shall fully support it,” said Maulvi Omar, a spokesman, adding that the group backed the involvement of TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad in any deal.

If at this stage of the game U.S. officials, likely from the State Department, think that such an agreement can split the Taliban factions, they are ignoring recent history. Baitullah Mehsud signed off on a similar peace agreement in 2008, and clearly has no problems with the current agreement at this time. The only good news to come of this is that State has finally recognized Baitullah Mehsud’s Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, or Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, is part of “the global jihad.” What they fail to realize is that Mullah Fazlullah is Baitullah’s deputy, and Baitullah is signing off on this because Fazlullah has succeeded in humiliating the government into imposing sharia at no cost to the Taliban.

Related Content