, The New York Times, 4 February 2010

EXCERPT: "The way the Taliban use Pakistan's tribal areas to launch cross-border attacks inside Afghanistan is perhaps the most contentious issue between Pakistan and the United States. But the problem is hardly contained to Pakistan's lawless tribal areas. Gaping holes in security checks along the border also remain at heavily trafficked crossings, like this one, in Baluchistan Province, where, American officials say, the Taliban's leaders have taken refuge, out of reach of American and NATO forces. The Chaman crossing ? marked on the Pakistani side by the three-story Friendship Gate ? should presumably be among the most secure in the country: it is the sole crossing between Kandahar, the birthplace of the Afghan Taliban, and Baluchistan, which is, according to American officials, home to Taliban commanders who control many Afghan fighters. But Taliban fighters ? anyone, really ? can cross and smuggle weapons and drugs, underscoring the challenge to the American war effort in Afghanistan, for which the border presents a much firmer barrier, as Pakistan does not allow NATO or American military forces to cross."

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Related articles:
Pakistan passport forgers fool the world, Earth Times, 27 January 2010
Chaman border crossing closed to NATO traffic [blog], The Long War Journal, 9 September 2009
Securing the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Asia Society, 10 December 2008
Pakistan, Afghanistan to adopt joint border control mechanism, Thaindian, 9 June 2008

Related reports:
[pdf], Congressional Research Service, 21 November 2008
Afghanistan, Pakistan: The battle-space of the border, STRATFOR, 14 October 2008
Pakistan's broken border, Council on Foreign Relations, 29 January 2007

Related posts:
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran promise increased regional cooperation, 19 January 2010
Iran, Pakistan review concerns over border instability, 14 January 2010
Narco-jihad: Drug trafficking and security in Afghanistan and Pakistan, 8 January 2010
Counter-terrorism cooperation in South Asia: History and prospects, 7 January 2010
Govt resists US pressure, sets limits to the relationship, 21 December 2009