Pakistan is objecting to expanded American combat operations in Afghanistan,creating new fissures in the alliance with the US at a time when thousands of American forces are arriving in the region. Pakistani officials have told the Obama administration that the Marines fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan will force militants across the border into Pakistan,with the potential to further inflame the troubled province of Baluchistan,said Pakistani intelligence officials. Pakistan does not have enough troops to deploy to Baluchistan without denuding its border with India,the officials said. The Pakistani officials made it clear that they still consider India their top priority and the Taliban militants a problem that can be negotiated. In the long run,the Taliban in Afghanistan may even remain potential allies for Pakistan once the US leaves. Even as Obama administration officials praise the operations,they express frustration that Pakistan is failing to act against the full array of Islamic militants. Instead,they say,Pakistani authorities have chosen to fight Pakistani Taliban who threaten their Government,while ignoring Taliban and other militants fighting Americans in Afghanistan or terrorising India. Pakistans critical assessment was provided as the Obama administrations special envoy for the region,Richard C Holbrooke,arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday night. The countrys perspective was given in a two-hour briefing on Friday for The New York Times by senior analysts and officials of Pakistans ISI. NYT India,Pak have a common enemy US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Wednesday. Holbrooke said that India,Pakistan and the US are facing common enemy,which is terrorism. On his second visit to the region in seven weeks,Holbrooke pressed Islamabad to move forward from the complicated history with New Delhi to take on the common enemy. AP
