Daily brief: Haqqani Network expresses support for Afghan peace deal

Andrew Lebovich writing at The AfPak Channel -

In a rare telephone interview with Reuters this weekend, Haqqani Network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani said his group was operating from Afghanistan, not from safe havens in Pakistan, and that they would support any decision made by the Afghan Taliban leadership, or Quetta Shura, with regards to a peace deal in Afghanistan (Reuters, Tel, Tolo). The comments came after U.S. ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter told a Pakistani radio station Friday that there was evidence of links between the insurgent group and Pakistan's government, following a deadly attack in Kabul last week targeting the U.S. embassy and NATO headquarters in the country (Reuters, AJE, Independent).

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen reportedly pressured Pakistan army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to take action against the Haqqanis this weekend, as Secretary or State Hillary Clinton is said to have delivered the same message to Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in New York (ABC, NYT, Bloomberg, ET, AFP, DT, Reuters, AFP). And the Journal reports that American officials are looking for evidence of the direct involvement of Pakistan's intelligence services in the Kabul attack (WSJ).

(READ MORE)