KABUL, Afghanistan - The Afghan and Pakistani armies agreed Wednesday to
conduct coordinated and simultaneous patrols with the United States alongside
their volatile border, a statement from the American-led coalition said.
NATO troops in charge of security in southern Afghanistan will also
participate in patrols aimed at improving security operations alongside the
porous 1,470-mile frontier, through which militants funnel money and equipment
to help the Taliban-led insurgency.
"In order to coordinate the movements along the border areas, the
participants discussed and agreed to a proposal to conduct coordinated patrols
... on their respective sides of the border, simultaneously," the statement
said.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have been at loggerheads over border security,
accusing each other of not doing enough to prevent militants from operating
within the frontier. The patrol deal could signal an improvement in relations
between the neighbors, who have both felt the brunt of Islamic militancy.
Wednesday's accord was reached during the 17th meeting of Tripartite
Commission, which includes the U.S.-led coalition and aims to improve
coordination and resolve disputes related to combating terrorism.
The parties also discussed potential use of "secure mobile telephones for
intelligence coordination" and agreed that next meeting will be in October in
Afghanistan, according to the statement.
The participants at the meeting in the Afghan capital, Kabul, included Gen.
Ahsan Saleem Hayat, Pakistan's army vice chief of staff; Gen. Bismullah Khan,
the Afghan army's chief of staff; Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, head of the U.S.-led
coalition; and NATO forces chief Lt. Gen. David Richards.
Afghanistan has repeatedly criticized Pakistan for not doing enough to
prevent Taliban militants and other rebels crossing the poorly marked border.
Pakistan, a former Taliban supporter but now U.S. ally in its war on
terrorism, says it does all it can to tackle insurgents and has deployed 80,000
troops along the frontier.
