India-Pakistan: September 2, 2003

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The Pakistan government insists that the Taliban are regrouping in Afghanistan, not Pakistan. But Pakistan will not allow American Special Forces or FBI agents to conduct searches in the border areas where the Taliban are believed to have sanctuary. Moreover, many Taliban fighters captured in Afghanistan are unmistakably Pakistani. But Pakistan does not want to get involved with an uprising of its border tribes. The Pushtun and Baluchi tribes along the Afghan border have always been difficult to deal with. If American troops were allowed to operate in the border area, the reprisals would be against Pakistani troops and police.