*Islamabad:* Afghanistan on Saturday blamed a devastating suicide bombattack in Kabul that killed at least 95 people and wounded 158 others onthe Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network, former CIA assets now consideredone of the most dangerous factions fighting US-led NATO forces inAfghanistan.
Led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, who doubles as the Afghan Taliban’s deputyleader, the extremist group has been blamed for spectacular attacks acrossAfghanistan since after the US invasion.
Long suspected of links to Pakistan’s shadowy military establishment, thenetwork was described by US Admiral Mike Mullen in 2011 as a “veritablearm” of Pakistani intelligence.
“When you hear US officials, including in private settings, talking aboutwhat worries them the most, they always talk about the Haqqanis,” saidanalyst Michael Kugelman, of the Wilson Center in Washington.
*Who are they?*
The group was founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani, an Afghan mujahideen commanderfighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s with the help ofthe US and Pakistan.
Jalaluddin gained notoriety for his organisation and bravery, garneringattention from the CIA and a personal visit from US congressman CharlieWilson.
A fluent Arabic speaker, Jalaluddin also fostered close ties with Arabjihadists including Osama Bin Laden who flocked to the region during thewar. Later, Jalaluddin became a minister in the Taliban regime.
Now designated a terrorist group by the US, the Haqqanis are known fortheir heavy use of suicide bombers.
They were blamed for the truck bomb in the heart of Kabul in May thatkilled around 150 people — though Sirajuddin later denied the accusation ina rare audio message.
The network has also been accused of assassinating top Afghan officials andholding kidnapped Westerners for ransom.
That includes recently released Canadian Joshua Boyle, his American wifeCaitlan Coleman, and their three children — all born in captivity — as wellas US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who was released in 2014.
*Where are they now?*
Following the US invasion of Afghanistan, Taliban fighters flooded acrossthe border into Pakistan, where they regrouped before launching aninsurgency against the Americans.
That included the Haqqanis, who coordinated attacks on NATO from across theborder in their stronghold of Miran Shah, the biggest town in NorthWaziristan, one of Pakistan’s semi-autonomous border tribal areas.
The US has launched repeated drone attacks targeting the group whilePakistan’s military has conducted successive clearing operations, thoughsceptical Afghan officials have noted they always seemed to miss theHaqqanis.
Pakistan intensified a military operation in the area in 2014, however, andsome militant sources say the pressure has forced many of the Haqqanisunderground or over the border into their Afghan strongholds, claims thatAFP could not confirm.
*Why are they linked to Pakistan?*
Pakistan sees its arch-nemesis to the east, India, as an existentialthreat, and has long sought influence over Kabul as a bulwark against Delhi.
The Haqqanis have frequently been accused of targeting Indian installationsin Afghanistan, spurring speculation they were overseen by Pakistaniintelligence agencies.
“For Pakistan the calculus comes down to India,” said Kugelman.
“It views the Haqqanis and also more broadly the Afghan Taliban as a usefulasset to help push back against the presence of India in Afghanistan.”
Politicians and retired military officials in Islamabad acknowledgeprivately that having open channels with the Haqqanis is vital.
Some stressed the nature of the connection. “There’s a difference betweencontact and supporting them or being part of them,” Mehmood Shah, a retiredbrigadier who worked in Pakistan’s tribal areas, told AFP.
*What does the US want Pakistan to do?*
Washington has long pressured Pakistan to crack down on militant groups,with the Haqqanis a top priority.
US President Donald Trump turned up the heat last summer when he accusedPakistan of playing a double game in Afghanistan and upbraided Islamabadfor sheltering “agents of chaos”.
Islamabad has repeatedly denied the claims and accused Washington ofignoring the thousands of Pakistani lives lost in its struggle withmilitancy.
The recovery of Boyle, Coleman, and their children came weeks later, withPakistan using its role in securing their freedom to urge the US to trustit is doing its best.
But — Pakistan’s desire for strategic depth aside — a crackdown on theHaqqanis might not be easy in a tribal society where social relationsmatter, warned Pakistani political analyst Imtiaz Gul.
“You can’t simply pluck out somebody because they’ve gone politicallyincorrect,” he said. – Agencies