Washington, Nov 29: Noted South Asia expert Ashley Tellis feels that though the majority of Pakistani military officials support the war on terror, but Islamabad’s counter-terrorism efforts have been impeded by its military’s ineptitude.

In a new report, Tellis has recommended a number of policies, while pointing out that if the US wants a stronger Pakistani commitment to the war on terror, it must first recognise that Pakistan’s poor performance cannot be attributed simply to malfeasance by Pakistan’s military elite.

Many blame the Musharraf regime for not doing more to combat terrorism despite receiving significant US aid, this is simplistic, the Daily Times quoted Tellis, as saying. He added Pakistani counter-terrorism efforts have been impeded by its military ineptitude, its political deterioration, a lack of public support for ‘Washington’s war’, and the ineffective Afghan government.

He further said that while the retirement of President Pervez Musharraf from the post of the army chief assuage some tensions in the embattled nation, the resurgence of al Qaeda and the Taliban, both in and around Pakistan, continues to pose an enormous security threat, and reflects the greatest reversal suffered by the US since operations began in 2001.

The recommendations presented by Tellis, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts include convincing Pakistanis of their own self-interest to defeat terrorism, demand the systematic targeting of the Taliban leadership within Pakistan, assist Pakistan with technology and training to monitor critical border crossing points, link counter-terrorism support funds to specific tasks rather than simply reimbursing Islamabad, double US aid to Afghanistan, and challenge NATO to meet its security obligations and commit to combat operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan.

He further pointed out that making US aid conditional on Pakistan’s performance in the war on terror would only inflame Pakistani public opinion and embarrass moderate Pakistanis who cooperated with the US.

“If unilateral military action were to become the announced policy of the US, such a policy would likely conclude eventually in the designation of Pakistan as an adversary of the US,” Tellis added. (ANI)