US to intensify drone attacks on Taliban hideouts in Pakistan

Washington, Mar.9 (ANI): Despite US President Barack Obama's admittance that Washington was open to dialogues with the moderate elements of the Taliban, officials have said that the US is planning a dramatic intensification of the Predator drone attacks on the Taliban in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

"There will be talks but the Taliban are going to experience a lot of pain first, on both sides of the border," a top US diplomat said.

Earlier, Obama had accepted that the US led 'War on terror' in Afghanistan and Pakistan may never see success, as the situation has gone out of control from the Pak government's hand.

"As long as you have got safe havens in these border regions that the Pakistani government can't control or reach in effective ways, we're going to continue to see vulnerability on the Afghan side of the border," The Telegraph quoted Obama, as saying.

The US special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke has appointed Afghan policy expert, Barnett Rubin to co-ordinate an approach route for talks with the Taliban.

Rubin had proposed earlier that NATO forces would cease its operation in the region if the Taliban agrees to discontinue using Afghan or Pakistani soil for planning terrorist attacks and recruiting operatives for international terrorism.

Deputy Commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, Royal Marine Lieutenant General Jim Dutton also viewed that without a massive crackdown on the Taliban in Pakistan, the outlawed group would be a difficult opponent to defeat.

"When there have been ceasefire deals on the eastern border with Pakistan, it's been easier for insurgents to move freely across the border," Lieutenant Dutton said.

"When they felt that they were under pressure from the Pakistani army, that freedom to move is bound to curtail," he added. (ANI)