US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the Pakistan Army recently indicated it would begin combat operations in North Waziristan Agency, which US considers as a haven for al Qaeda-affiliated militants.
Panetta on Monday night said Pakistan’s military leadership gave word of the planned operation in recent conversations with the top American commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Allen.
A week ago, some reports did take rounds that the joint operations had been discussed during Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Zaheer Ul Islam’s meetings with Central Intelligence Agency and US military officials during his Washington visit. A report said Gen John Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, also discussed the matter during a meeting with Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani in Rawalpindi last week.
However, Pakistan’s military leadership declared all such reports baseless, saying it was not mounting joint operations with the US against Haqqani fighters holed up in North Waziristan and it alone would decide when to conduct campaigns within Pakistani territory.
“Coordinated actions on the respective side of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, being part of routine, should not be mistaken for joint operations,” the military official said. Panetta said he did not know when the Pakistani operation would start, but said he understands it will be in the “near future”, and that the main target would be the Pakistani Taliban, rather than the Haqqani network.
Panetta welcomed Kayani’s initiative, even though the main target may not be the Haqqani leadership. “They’ve talked about it for a long time. Frankly, I’d lost hope that they were going do anything about it. But it does appear that they in fact are going to take that step.”
Panetta also revealed that the US was providing additional military assistance to peacekeeping forces in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in order to strengthen security in the region. But he said that so far the Pentagon had not moved to send additional US troops to the Sinai. “We just want to make sure that we know how those forces are deployed in order to insure that we can more effectively go after those terrorists that would try to create an incident or terrorist act,” Panetta said.
It is bound to happen. NWA has according to all reports in the media chosen the wrong path. It has refused to listen to the good advice of friends or heed the anger of enemies.
Elements in NWA have played foolishly into the hands of Pakistan's enemies and brought the current state of affairs to pass.
I pray for a swift and successful operation by our defence forces and a quick re-establishment of peace and security in the agency. Let other enemies of the state take heed. Patience is limited.
I SAY NO TO ANY OPERATION IN NORTH WAZIRISTAN AT THE PRESENT TIME.
LET THE CONDITONS FEEDING THE SITUATION IMPROVE.
Mr Panetta goes to India and not withstanding Pakistan's concerns regarding Indian support to Baluchistan insurgency, support to disgruntled Taliban IN Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa and elements of MQM in Karachi advises India to take a lead role in Afghanistan to fill the void when US leaves Afghanistan.
Besides this the political government in Pakistan is very weak and can (also has) worked to the detriment of Pakistan's interest. Please remember that the enemy within is worse and dangerous than the enemy out there.
Although I am in favour of dealing with the trouble makers any efforts to neutralise them will fail unless the hands and the minds feeding them are neutralised.
I shall therefore ask that any such operations are delayed to a time when the conditions are appropriate and suitable.
LET US NOT MAKE A COMPLICATED SITUATION COMPLEX AND IRRETRIEVABLE.
http://www.pakistantoday.mbt.pk/2012/08/15/news/n…
Only the troops and people of the area know the truth.Panneta or his side kicks have always relied on force and never on their brains.History is witness to this. There is delibrate provocation from across the border and Panneta knows this or should know this. People of North Waziristan are as much victims of US terror as we in rest of the country.Drones are the major reason to which Islamabad is a party.Stop this and then see the effect before jumping the gun, a favourit American past time.
Why American are not asking indians to shut down the more than 50 consulates in Afghanistan. Indian are making trouble for pakistan, picking up the afghanis those who have no families or young teenagers brain wash them, offering them alot of money and train them and send them into pakistan and they are the suicide bombers… shame on Americans double standard policies, indian also making trouble in Balouchistan to destablise and separate it. But Its our beloved country will stay unite at any condition. Americans have to get lost from this Origin.
As i reflect on Gen. Kiyani's speech in Kakul, lots of thoughts cross my mind. Firstly it was the first time he had spoken right from the bottom of his heart . He pointed out in vivid details the problems facing the country both politically and militarily. On the civilian front he subtley pointed out the failings. The past and particularly the present Govt. has not visited the valley of despair where there is no fresh water, no electricity, no basic medical
care and no school. It is from this valley young men embrace suicide vests for a ?better life in another valley.
If only the political leadership had spent more time here rather than wasting their time
in the corridors of the SC things could have been better.
.It is also the same valley where the army recruits young men to fight who willingly lay down their lives for their beloved country. But they lack motivation when they fight their fellow citizens of the same faith. They return to their valley either in coffins, crippled both physically and mentally lacking follow up but now they are trained veterans who know only to kill.
Oue army too has suffered a body blow after the OBL fiasko. One of worlds best trained army was ridiculed everywhere. There was discontent in the ranks but the disicipline held.
The situation is not being helped by the percepion in the streets that we are fighting a proxy war. A impression which is increased when top officals from USA come with what sounds like instructions to us.
Where do we go from here.? The answer does not lie in the bullets but in visiting the valley of discontent. If i were to asked whar other solution i propose i would reply i have none but i understand the problem.
Well said COAS but are the politicians getting the message.
Really, on this mans say so!
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