Analyzing North Waziristan

[Awesome]

Pakistan drags feet on new offensive in tribal belt
2010-06-13 16:00:00

Pakistan is buying time in North Waziristan -- gathering intelligence, building alliances and insisting any assault into the Taliban and Al-Qaeda fortress take place at its own time and choosing.

Part of the tribal belt on the Afghan border, North Waziristan is home to 350,000 people but considered a stronghold for the most dangerous militants in the world and largely impenetrable.

It is also a rumoured hiding place of Osama bin Laden.

Commanders are walking a tightrope, balancing US pressure for action against fears that a major push into the hornet's nest would make enemies they cannot beat and drag Pakistan into a new wave of violence.

"The army is already over-stretched after carrying out offensives in other tribal regions," one Pakistani security official told AFP.

"Security forces got in touch with local tribesmen in a policy of dialogue and asked them not to harbour any insurgents, and this policy has worked," he said.

As well as the bin Laden connection, North Waziristan's mountains are also a refuge for Pakistani Tehreek-e-Taliban who escaped an offensive in neighbouring South Waziristan and networks fighting US forces in Afghanistan.

A US drone campaign already trained on North Waziristan has been stepped up since Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad was charged in the United States for plotting an attempted May 1 bomb attack on New York. Shahzad told interrogators he had been to the region for bomb training.

Among those using bases in North Waziristan are the Haqqani network, created by Afghan warlord Jalaluddin Haqqani and run by his son Sirajuddin; Afghan Taliban; Pakistani warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur and his ally Maulvi Sadiq Noor.

They are blamed by the United States for fuelling the nearly nine-year insurgency in Afghanistan, for attacking the 142,000 US-led NATO troops there and for working to destabilise the Western-backed government in Kabul.

But they are also men whom the Pakistani security establishment believes pose no direct risk to the homeland because their activities are targeted across the border, while homegrown Taliban pose a more immediate threat.

"There are problems in North Waziristan where Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has established a presence," another senior security official told AFP. "The issue is how to handle these problems."

"Security forces don't want to lose the gains made in South Waziristan and northwestern regions, including Swat," he said, warning that any hasty relocation of troops could lead to a deterioration in those areas.

Opening a new front against the likes of Haqqani and Gul Bahadur would, Pakistani officials believe, make enemies out of well-trained, well-financed groups that are potentially valuable allies when US troops leave Afghanistan.

Given the risks involved and strain on Pakistani troops, with forces actively engaged in six of the seven tribal districts, analysts say fears of a backlash, including attacks on civilians, are holding the army back.

"Fears of a fierce reaction by Punjab-based militants, because of their links with Tehreek-e-Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, the Haqqani and Bahadur networks might be one reason holding the army back," analyst Imtiaz Gul said.

Last year saw a huge surge in attacks in retaliation for military offensives in Swat and South Waziristan, followed this year by a relative decline.

But some of this year's worst bombings have been in Lahore, capital of Punjab and playground of the elite, where attacks on the Ahmadi community slaughtered 82 people on May 28 -- blamed by the government on Punjabi Taliban.

Instead of a major assault, Gul said a North Waziristan operation would be "selective" -- at a time and on a scale of the military's choosing.

For example, troops may try and "shrink the space" for local facilitators of Al-Qaeda, such as Tehreek-e-Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The government reached an undeclared understanding with Bahadur in early 2008, following bouts of fighting in North Waziristan in 2006 and 2007, calling a halt to mutual conflict.

Pakistan's other old fear is India. Around 140,000 troops are deployed along the western border, leaving 100,000 in the east, where Pakistan meets India, and commanders are wary of leaving that frontier more exposed.

"The army and paramilitary are busy in at least four tribal regions and have notbeen able to withdraw fully from Swat and Malakand," said defence analyst Hasan Askari.

"It seems that the army would ultimately take specifically targetedaction there, but at a time of its choosing," he said.

Pakistan drags feet on new offensive in tribal belt

While I fully trust the Pakistani government and would not like to rush them into an operation in NW (and risking valuable Pakistani lives), I do hope that there is no longer anyone thinking along the lines of strategic depth. No amount of benefit of strategic depth worth being close to terrorists and Mullahs.

The overwhelming message coming out of Pakistan should be one of antagonism against all forms of extremism. So this operation along with the one in South Punjab both have to happen at some point or the other.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

While I fully trust the Pakistani government and would not like to rush them into an operation in NW (and risking valuable Pakistani lives), I do hope that there is no longer anyone thinking along the lines of strategic depth. No amount of benefit of strategic depth worth being close to terrorists and Mullahs.

The overwhelming message coming out of Pakistan should be one of antagonism against all forms of extremism. So this operation along with the one in South Punjab both have to happen at some point or the other.

Yes ofcourse , The Pakistani Law as laid down by the constitution of 1973 should be enforced into these lawless areas but the way you do it thats the issue..
Further it must be made ensure that there should be at least an attempt to bring in some local entities and integerate them in the current democratic governmental system.Its a potential possibility.

And for last i must say these areas have been deprived for quite a time. The extreemism cannot merely be fought by military ops alone. Schools,Healthcare and other necessary infrastructure should be developed so that the generation could be educated and molded in such a way that instead of following the Kalasinkolf Culture they should have Books in there hands. There Elders should be guarnteed proper healthcare.

And importantly peace and all this can only be possible if the Durand Line is properly secured and the sumuglling of all forms should be stoped.
The strategik depth should not be persued at the cost of local territory and people but it should be made clear that hostile entities across Durand Line should not use that land to bring havoc even into these areas.
Its a long way to go and might take atleast 1.5 decades of time spane.

 

[Javed3]

"" And importantly peace and all this can only be possible if the Durand Line is properly secured and the sumuglling of all forms should be stoped.""

First of all request our erstwhile "Ally" the USA to prod its client Karzai Government to recognize Durand Line as a legitimate international border. If you cant get them to accept Durand Line as International border while fighting their war on your own soil, you cannot achieve anything.

 

[vsdoc]

I don't see why Pakistan can't take a leaf out of India's book and learn from our example of how the LOC has been closed off and routes of ingress effectively cauterized. Unless perhaps Pakistan desires a fluid one-way valve mechanism, which controls ingress of undesirables, while keeping channels of strategic depth egress open. As even an uneducated port worker will tell you, imports and export have a way of getting mixed up often when there is a common holding area. The problem is magnified manifold, when the imports and exports are one and the same, minus the packing and the labels and manifestos. Sugar from Maharashtra would look much like sugar from Brazil for example as an illustration.

Cheers, Doc

 

[Marxist]

The United States has long pressed the Pakistani military to crack down on the so-called Haqqani faction in the North Waziristan tribal region, which borders Afghanistan, but Islamabad has so far balked at doing so.

General David Petraeus, who oversees the Afghan war as head of U.S. Central Command, told a Senate hearing that he, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff raised Haqqani links in a recent meeting with Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Kayani.

"We have shared information with him about links of the leadership of the Haqqani network located in North Waziristan that clearly commanded and controlled the operation against Bagram air base and the attack in Kabul, among others," Petraeus said.

Suicide bombers carrying rockets and grenades launched a brazen predawn attack on the base on May 19, killing an American contractor and wounding nine U.S. troops. About a dozen militants, many wearing suicide vests packed with explosives, were killed, the Pentagon said at the time.

A day earlier, a suicide bomber attacked a military convoy in Kabul, killing 12 Afghan civilians and six foreign troops.

Bagram is the main base for the U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan, with the largest airfield in the country. It was used by the former Soviet Union during its invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

The Pentagon has expressed confidence that Pakistan will eventually mount an offensive in North Waziristan, but said Islamabad would decide on the timing.

The Haqqani network has long been described by U.S. forces as one of their biggest enemies in Afghanistan.

But there are strategic reasons for Pakistan's hesitancy to attack the Haqqanis.

Pakistan sees the group as a strategic asset that will give it influence in any peace settlement in Afghanistan so Islamabad will want those militants on its side.

The United States has increased pressure on Pakistan to act in North Waziristan following a botched May 1 car-bombing in New York's Time Square that U.S. investigators have blamed on the Pakistani Taliban.

But Pentagon officials have said they understood the Pakistani military was already stretched by operations in other tribal areas.

U.S. showed Pakistan evidence on militant faction | Reuters

 

[ajpirzada]

ok so they have showed us evidence. now wat? did we not know this before?

we have already mentioned our constraints which we need to take care off. showing evidence do not bring any ease to our limitations or concerns.

 

[GUNNER]

A Question of Timing


By Rahimullah Yusufzai 18 June 2010

Everyone is talking about an impending military operation in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region – except those who are supposed to carry it out. The army high command and spokesmen have remained quiet, preferring a wait-and-see approach and calculating the next move without bothering about the unwanted attention that the country’s tribal borderland is receiving following Faisal Shahzad’s failed attempt to car-bomb New York’s famous Times Square.

It reminds one of the media hype prior to the big offensive by Pakistan’s security forces in Swat and the rest of the Malakand division from April to May last year and the subsequent military action in October 2010 in South Waziristan. The military certainly had plans to move against the Taliban militants in both these theatres of war, but the media became so obsessed with the issue that it seemed it wanted action sooner rather than later. On occasion it appeared that the military’s hand was forced to initiate action before time.

This is not the first time that the Pakistan Army command is letting it be known, without mentioning North Waziristan, that it would choose a timing of its own to open a new front in the war against militants. The military has made it amply clear that it would not take action due to pressure exerted by the US or any other power. This may not be wholly true, as there have been instances where US pressure has been so intense that Pakistan has been unable to resist it for long. However, the fact remains that the present command of the Pakistan Army has forged a close, trust-based relationship with US military commanders and the latter are willing to let their Pakistani counterparts decide the strategy and timing of their offensive in the country.

In the context of North Waziristan, Pakistan and the US have different sets of priorities. For Pakistan, the major threat is posed by the Mehsud and Punjabi Taliban militants linked to Hakimullah Mehsud’s Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who have taken refuge in North Waziristan after fleeing the October 2010 military operation in neighbouring South Waziristan. The foreign militants, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and other groups who are hiding in North Waziristan, also pose a threat to Pakistan and its security forces. The Afghan Taliban fighters associated with the Haqqani network are also foreign militants; who occasionally maintain a presence in North Waziristan after crossing over from Afghanistan, but they aren’t considered a threat to Pakistan’s security establishment – at least not at this stage.

Pakistan would have to decide whether to treat the Haqqani network as a friend or a foe once it firms up its policy towards the Afghan Taliban in the changing security situation in the region, particularly in Afghanistan. To a great extent this would depend on the US attitude towards the Afghan Taliban. Through its ongoing military offensives, the US and NATO forces are trying to defeat and weaken the Taliban to an extent that the latter agree to put down arms and seek peace on American terms. Failure on the battlefront would force the US to offer the Taliban a much better power-sharing deal and it would depend on the latter whether to accept or continue fighting for a decisive victory. The US would have to make up its mind by July 2011, the cut-off date announced by President Barack Obama for making a decision about the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. This would also be the time for Pakistan to choose its friends and foes from among the Afghan groups that are party to the dispute.

For the US, its choices in North Waziristan aren’t that complex. It considers all militants, whether Pakistani or those belonging to other nationalities, as enemies and would like Pakistan to adopt the same principle. No doubt the foreign militants belonging to Al-Qaeda, the IMU and the Haqqani Network are a bigger threat for the US and its allies, but the Pakistani Taliban and jihadis are no less dangerous because they provide sanctuaries to the foreigners. It doesn’t differentiate between the Pakistani and foreign militants while carrying out missile strikes from the CIA-operated drones in not just North Waziristan, but other Pakistani tribal areas as well. It definitely wants the Pakistani military to take on all the militants. The Haqqanis or the non-TTP militants, belonging to North Waziristan and commanded by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, won’t fully serve the purpose of the US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan.

In case the Pakistan military decides to initiate action in North Waziristan, it would first have to justify the move, as a peace accord between the government and the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led militants is still in place. Reasons would have to be found to do away with the peace agreement. One such reason could be a violation due to the presence of outsiders, including the Mehsud and Punjabi Taliban militants are in North Waziristan. The end of the peace accord would also mean the coming together of all the militants, including those in and outside the TTP, on one platform to resist Pakistan’s security forces. The militants may not fight the superior Pakistani security forces and retreat in the same way that Hakimullah Mehsud’s TTP fighters did in South Waziristan last October. They would resort to guerilla attacks, acts of sabotage and the disruption of the army’s supply routes.

The Haqqani network would certainly not fight Pakistan’s security forces and prefer relocating elsewhere in the tribal areas and across the border in Afghanistan’s Khost and other provinces where the Afghan Taliban have a strong presence. Dislocation would certainly weaken the Haqqani Network, arguably the most powerful group among the Mullah Mohammad Omar-led Afghan Taliban, but it won’t mean the end of its fight against the NATO and Afghan government forces.

In terms of terrain and the militants’ strength, North Waziristan could be somewhat less of a challenge compared to South Waziristan. The military, which already has a considerable number of troops in North Waziristan, would have to make plans to control the three major population centres of Miramshah, Mir Ali and Dattakhel and keep its supply lines open. It could go for selective military operations against the militants who don’t belong to North Waziristan and try not to provoke Hafiz Gul Bahadur and his men, at least for the time being. It could attempt maintaining peace with one group of militants while fighting the other one, so that they don’t join hands to fight the security forces. This strategy worked last year when the Maulvi Nazeer-led militants in the Wana and Shakai areas of South Waziristan inhabited by the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe stayed neutral when the military launched its offensive against the TTP in the Mehsud-populated territory. The peace agreement with Hafiz Gul Bahadur at the time also enabled the military to keep him out of the battle as it took on Hakimullah Mehsud’s TTP fighters in South Waziristan.

Contrary to reports, any new military operation in North Waziristan won’t be the first in this tribal agency. There have been two big military offensive against the militants in North Waziristan and on both occasions the military failed to achieve victory and had to settle for unfavourable peace accords with the Taliban, including the one in September 2006 that drew strong criticism from the US and the Afghan government. In view of past failures, the new military operation would have to be larger in scope and better in strategy. It would be of a scale comparable to the operations undertaken in Swat and South Waziristan. And even then, there would be no guarantee that a successful military campaign in North Waziristan would result in a decisive defeat for the militants and end the conflict in northern Pakistan.


Rahimullah Yusufzai is a Peshawar-based senior journalist who covers events in the NWFP, FATA, Balochistan and Afghanistan. His work appears in the Pakistani and international media. He has also contributed chapters to books on the region.

 

[GUNNER]

Pakistan might fight - for a price

By Syed Saleem Shahzad

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's inaction against the network of Jalaluddin and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the most effective of Afghan Taliban groups and which operates out of Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area, is a constant irritation in relations between Washington and Islamabad, with senior United States military officials even accusing the Pakistanis of having ties with the group.

However, Pakistan has made it clear to Washington through diplomatic channels and most recently during this weekend's visit to Pakistan of US special AfPak envoy Richard Holbrooke that every sacrifice has a price tag. Islamabad argues that if it is to launch a major military offensive in North Waziristan against militants, including al-Qaeda, the monetary costs will be high, as will the risk of a militant backlash across the country. The war itself could also drag on for many months.

The US is desperate that militant bases in North Waziristan be destroyed as these feed directly into the ever-growing insurgency across the border in Afghanistan. As the Americans see it, without an operation in North Waziristan, the chances of US troops beginning a withdrawal by next summer are slim.

A major offensive against the Taliban in Kandahar province has already been delayed for another few months, in part pending Pakistani action in North Waziristan. All that Islamabad will say is that while it is committed to an operation, it will do so at a date of its convenience.

This is despite the fact that Pakistan's political government and security apparatus are as a whole very much onboard with American policies.

Pakistan's position comes at an awkward time for Washington. Many of its allies in Afghanistan, including Britain and Canada, aim to distance their troops from hot fronts such as Kandahar.

United States Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen has expressed his exasperation; he is one of those to have alleged that Pakistan has ties to Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Before the arrival in Pakistan of Holbrooke, who was accompanied by Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs David Lipton, Islamabad had made it clear to Washington that it would need military hardware worth US$2.5 billion to launch an operation in North Waziristan.

Speaking to The Washington Times, Pakistani ambassador in Washington Husain Haqqani said the equipment was needed to take the war against al-Qaeda into the mountains bordering Afghanistan. He said Pakistan required new helicopter gunships, including the Apache-64-D, AH-1W, AH-6 and MD-530 Little Bird.

Haqqani said utility and cargo helicopters such as the UH-60 Black Hawk, the CH-47 D Chinook and the UH-1Y Huey would also be required. He pointed out that Pakistan only had eight second-hand Mi-17 transport helicopters at its disposal. Two separate demands were conveyed to Washington through public forums as American demands for an operation mounted.

On Thursday, the Public Accounts Committee said 170,000 soldiers were deployed on the Afghan border. However, a close friend of army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kiani, Secretary of Defense Lieutenant General (retired) Syed Athar Ali, told the same meeting that if Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money was not released, the troops at the Afghan border would be pulled back.

Ali added that Pakistan had spent an additional 10 billion rupees (US$117 million) moving the army to the border areas and needed to be compensated for this from the CSF.

Diplomatic contacts tell Asia Times Online that Pakistan has also told Washington that if the Americans want to take surgical strikes against militants like Sirajuddin Haqqani, they can go ahead.

The impasse between Pakistan and the US over North Waziristan comes at a time that both sides are having a rough ride at the hands of insurgents.

A United Nations report released this weekend gave a grim picture of the security situation in Afghanistan, saying roadside bombings - up an "alarming 94% - and assassinations - up 45% - had soared in the first four months of the year.

UN officials said the number of coordinated attacks had also increased, with an average of two per month, about double last year's average. Coalition casualties are rising, with at least 53 troops killed this month, including 34 US service members.

Across the border, despite intense military operations in Orakzai Agency, South Waziristan and Mohmand and Bajaur tribal areas, militants have made a comeback. In the past week, they have attacked military positions in Mohmand and Bajaur. In one unconfirmed incident, reports said several soldiers were killed and 54 others were missing.

Security officials who spoke to Asia Times Online believe that the next few months will be critical for the US if Pakistan does not begin an operation in North Waziristan within a few weeks.

If the North Waziristan operation is delayed for a few more months, it is unlikely the Kandahar offensive will be effective, while the Taliban are strengthening in Helmand and, Kabul and Uruzgan provinces, besides Khost, Paktia and Paktika (bordering North Waziristan and South Waziristan) and Kunar, Nuristan and Nangarhar in the east.

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to visit Pakistan next month for another round of dialogue in which officials are likely to address Pakistan's strategic as well as economic interests. There could be some fiery exchanges.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief.

 

[Hulk]

And what about helis trips which start evacutating TTP leaders just before the operation? last itme those helis belonged to Britan!!!

Well this time if helis will be sent it will be PA or PAF. The assets belong to them. By the way TTP protected by USA (So called) has reduced in strength in just 1 year and cannot say the same for AT.

 

[Fighter488]

Pakistan might fight - for a price​

By Syed Saleem Shahzad

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's inaction against the network of Jalaluddin and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the most effective of Afghan Taliban groups and which operates out of Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area, is a constant irritation in relations between Washington and Islamabad, with senior United States military officials even accusing the Pakistanis of having ties with the group.

However, Pakistan has made it clear to Washington through diplomatic channels and most recently during this weekend's visit to Pakistan of US special AfPak envoy Richard Holbrooke that every sacrifice has a price tag. Islamabad argues that if it is to launch a major military offensive in North Waziristan against militants, including al-Qaeda, the monetary costs will be high, as will the risk of a militant backlash across the country. The war itself could also drag on for many months.​

The US is desperate that militant bases in North Waziristan be destroyed as these feed directly into the ever-growing insurgency across the border in Afghanistan. As the Americans see it, without an operation in North Waziristan, the chances of US troops beginning a withdrawal by next summer are slim.

A major offensive against the Taliban in Kandahar province has already been delayed for another few months, in part pending Pakistani action in North Waziristan. All that Islamabad will say is that while it is committed to an operation, it will do so at a date of its convenience.

This is despite the fact that Pakistan's political government and security apparatus are as a whole very much onboard with American policies.​

Pakistan's position comes at an awkward time for Washington. Many of its allies in Afghanistan, including Britain and Canada, aim to distance their troops from hot fronts such as Kandahar.

United States Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Admiral Mike Mullen has expressed his exasperation; he is one of those to have alleged that Pakistan has ties to Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Before the arrival in Pakistan of Holbrooke, who was accompanied by Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs David Lipton, Islamabad had made it clear to Washington that it would need military hardware worth US$2.5 billion to launch an operation in North Waziristan.

Speaking to The Washington Times, Pakistani ambassador in Washington Husain Haqqani said the equipment was needed to take the war against al-Qaeda into the mountains bordering Afghanistan. He said Pakistan required new helicopter gunships, including the Apache-64-D, AH-1W, AH-6 and MD-530 Little Bird.

Haqqani said utility and cargo helicopters such as the UH-60 Black Hawk, the CH-47 D Chinook and the UH-1Y Huey would also be required. He pointed out that Pakistan only had eight second-hand Mi-17 transport helicopters at its disposal. Two separate demands were conveyed to Washington through public forums as American demands for an operation mounted.

On Thursday, the Public Accounts Committee said 170,000 soldiers were deployed on the Afghan border. However, a close friend of army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kiani, Secretary of Defense Lieutenant General (retired) Syed Athar Ali, told the same meeting that if Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money was not released, the troops at the Afghan border would be pulled back.

Ali added that Pakistan had spent an additional 10 billion rupees (US$117 million) moving the army to the border areas and needed to be compensated for this from the CSF.

Diplomatic contacts tell Asia Times Online that Pakistan has also told Washington that if the Americans want to take surgical strikes against militants like Sirajuddin Haqqani, they can go ahead.

The impasse between Pakistan and the US over North Waziristan comes at a time that both sides are having a rough ride at the hands of insurgents.

A United Nations report released this weekend gave a grim picture of the security situation in Afghanistan, saying roadside bombings - up an "alarming 94% - and assassinations - up 45% - had soared in the first four months of the year.

UN officials said the number of coordinated attacks had also increased, with an average of two per month, about double last year's average. Coalition casualties are rising, with at least 53 troops killed this month, including 34 US service members.

Across the border, despite intense military operations in Orakzai Agency, South Waziristan and Mohmand and Bajaur tribal areas, militants have made a comeback. In the past week, they have attacked military positions in Mohmand and Bajaur. In one unconfirmed incident, reports said several soldiers were killed and 54 others were missing.

Security officials who spoke to Asia Times Online believe that the next few months will be critical for the US if Pakistan does not begin an operation in North Waziristan within a few weeks.​

If the North Waziristan operation is delayed for a few more months, it is unlikely the Kandahar offensive will be effective, while the Taliban are strengthening in Helmand and, Kabul and Uruzgan provinces, besides Khost, Paktia and Paktika (bordering North Waziristan and South Waziristan) and Kunar, Nuristan and Nangarhar in the east.

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to visit Pakistan next month for another round of dialogue in which officials are likely to address Pakistan's strategic as well as economic interests. There could be some fiery exchanges.​

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief. He can be reached at saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com

(Copyright 2010 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and republishing.)

Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan

 

[RescueRanger]

You scratch my back, i scratch yours. What is new here? What is more cynical is the way such reports are worded. Do people actually belive the world is some sort of cuddly care bear land full of friendship and goodness.

If developed nations like greece and spain can ask for a bailout package worth trillions to wipe out soverign debt, then it is only fair that a leading non nato ally in the GWOT can ask for financial support to enable its military to conduct operations.

 

[arslan_treen]

i mean its also not just about money , to mount a very effective offence like such which the Americans want Pakistan does need these tools to have a maximum and fast effect on the miscreants . its not like any of these weapons can make a HUGE difference in South Asia Arm balance , plus with out these weapons and many more like these , a full assault mean loss of many many soldiers which is meaning less because if because of these common and normal weapon systems if human loss of Pakistans side can be protected then it should be protected .

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Moving into North Waziristan

It is evident from Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s briefing in Lahore after his return from Washington that Pakistan has once more faced pressure to move into the North Waziristan tribal territory, now believed to be one of the areas over which militants retain an iron hold. There is a complication. These militants include the Haqqani network, the group which under Jalaluddin Haqqani fought valiantly against the former Soviets in Afghanistan and forged close links with the Pakistan military establishment. These bonds have continued, with the Haqqanis, now led by Jalaluddin’s son Sirajuddin, who are said to be engaged in talks with the military. For the US in particular, Sirajuddin’s reputation as being ‘harder line’ than his father and of having evolved a relationship with al Qaeda will be a concern.

Pakistan’s official line on North Waziristan has been ambiguous. It has in the past indicated that it is planning to move in, but then not done so. The floods since July have played a part, with military efforts redirected towards rescuing people. The foreign minister now tells us there are already 34,000 troops in North Waziristan and the government will decide when the operation is to begin. While Mr Qureshi has focused on Islamabad’s role in this, the opinion of the military will play a part. Also of relevance is the degree of pressure applied by Washington. It seems likely that this was substantial given the repeated expression of US concern over the situation in the territory and the growing body of reports about US conditionalities attached to its aid package.

We come back here to a basic point. The will of Pakistan to fight militants and to end the process of dividing them into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guys is imperative. Only once this is accepted will any real progress be made in North Waziristan and the hesitant dance we see now ended.

Moving into North Waziristan – The Express Tribune

 

[mehru]

Peace jirgas to woo TTP ahead of NWA op

ISLAMABAD - The PPP-led ruling coalition is about to launch efforts to get the Pakistani Taliban to the negotiating table so that they could be given a chance to part ways with Al-Qaeda and renounce violence ahead of a military operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA).
Well-placed sources told TheNation on Monday that the government has decided in principle to convene a series of peace jirgas of the tribesmen of North Waziristan to woo all the tribesmen who were either members of the defunct Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or their sympathisers.
The move comes after the government weighed various options, including launching of a military operation against the insurgents who have been challenging the writ of the government in North Waziristan.
According to sources, the government would soon give a final offer of reconciliation to TTP and other militants to come back to the political mainstream after denouncing violence and Al-Qaeda.
Sources said that the military leadership has advised the government to follow a multi-track approach in tackling domestic extremists. “The focus should remain on eliminating extremism rather than cleansing extremists,” sources said, while reflecting on the resolve at the highest level. “A comprehensive national reconciliation policy must be in place before military action against militants that now is reportedly on cards in North Waziristan,” sources said quoting the military leadership.
The offer to the Taliban, sources believed, would be extended after the formulation of a comprehensive national reconciliation policy.
Dismissing media reports about a major military operation against insurgents in North Waziristan, military sources said there was nothing on the ground as such, as it all depends on how the government handles the situation. “Military operation is the last option,” sources said.
A report was published in a section of the press, suggesting that Pakistan will launch a military offensive in North Waziristan and the Pakistan Air Force has been geared up to hit targets ahead of a land offensive to be carried out by the Pakistan Army.
The report said an understanding for the North Waziristan offensive was reached when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chairman Joints Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen visited Pakistan last week.

The US has long been prodding Pakistan to launch the North Waziristan operation, but has not come up with concrete support in terms of arms, equipment and funding.
The Pakistan Army already has more than two divisions of its troops deployed in North Waziristan.
Agencies add: Humanitarian agencies active in North Waziristan have been quietly told to prepare for up to 365,000 displaced people in advance of a military offensive against NWA, a senior official with an international humanitarian agency said Monday.
The official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, was responding to the media report that Pakistan will launch a military offensive against Qaeda and Taliban in the Afghan border regions.
“Humanitarian agencies operating in Fata and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were given the heads up two weeks ago by the authorities of a possible displacement of up to 50,000 families,” he said, referring to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the northwest province.
A similar tip-off in 2009 preceded a military offensive in neighbouring South Waziristan by about five months, he said.
Other aid agencies were not immediately available for comment.
Some analysts say any joint US-Pakistani operation would subject the Army to even more public criticism as anti-US feeling already runs deep.
“The reaction could be even more vociferous, just because everybody is so suspicious — as well as dismissive — of American interference,” said Imtiaz Gul, author of “The Most Dangerous Place,” a book about Pakistan’s militant strongholds.
“People already feel so humiliated because of this Osama bin Laden thing and now they will have another reason to react.”
But Pakistan, dependent on billions of dollars in US aid, is under more pressure than ever to show it is serious about tackling militancy.
Attacking US enemies in North Waziristan may be one way of repairing ties with Washington which were badly damaged by the bin Laden affair.
Aside from strategic concerns, an attack on the Haqqani network could further threaten Pakistan’s security as it faces a wave of attacks by the Taliban to avenge the killing of bin Laden by US special forces on May 2.

Peace jirgas to woo TTP ahead of NWA op | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

Youth of NWA angry but elders still with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: As death rules in North Waziristan with US drones raining fire and fury, local tribal elders still believe in Pakistan but the youth are fast turning hostile as they see the Pakistani elite as collaborators of the US, a visit to the troubled agency revealed.

As heirs of those killed in such attacks have anger and hatred written large on their faces instead of grief, this correspondent saw in a rare visit to Shakai, the historical valley where the first peace agreement was signed between former corps commander General Safdar and Taliban commander Nek Muhammad during the Musharraf regime. It was the same accord after the collapse of which fire from Waziristan spread across the country.

This correspondent visited the restive region along with young tribal leader, Sardar Ajmal Khan Wazir, and held meetings with the elders of the Wazir tribe. During the meetings, the elders of the Wazir tribe upheld the tribal tradition of hospitality during the night stay in Shakai.

During a chat with the tribal elders in Shakai, they requested this correspondent to inform the residents of Pakistan’s urban centres about the experience of night stay in the troubled region and the pain with which the people of the tribal region are living. It was noted that people of Wazir tribe could not sleep in the night because of the chances of US drone strikes. They said it is not because of fear but to help those who receive injuries in these attacks.

It was noted that people of North Waziristan are not ready to believe that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had been killed. They believe that Osama was a soldier of Islam and whenever he would die, he would die like a martyr. It was observed that majority of the Wazir tribesmen are ready to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden and they are not ready to listen to anybody in this regard.

“Although our people have developed various mental disorders because of the drone attacks, the youth of the area are not ready to accept the views about the Pakistani military leadership and we are facing a great difficulty in controlling our youth because there are clear signs of rebellion in them,” explained one of the elders.

The positive aspect of the situation is that the thinking of aged people in the region is much different from that of the people of Balochistan. They think like patriotic Pakistanis but their views about Pakistan’s political and religious leadership as well as the elite have, however, completely changed as compared to the past. There is a visible difference between the views of the elders and youth about Pakistan’s military leadership.

It was noted that the residents of North Waziristan believe the Pakistani elite are pursuing a dual policy and they are always in pursuit of power. As these people consider the US their biggest enemy, therefore, whosoever speaks in favour of the US they consider him their enemy. The basic cause of their anger against the Pakistan Army is the same as they believe it is fighting the war on the behest of the US.

The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is ideal of the youth in the region. Moreover, they liked the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in the past and still they like the JI leaders including its former chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed and incumbent chief Munawwar Hassan for their strong disliking of the US and opposition to the presence of the US troops in the region.

The people of North Waziristan believe that Pakistan’s military leadership could play an important role in stopping the US drone attacks. There are, however, people in North Waziristan who are describing the development projects initiated in the region as highly beneficial for the local population. They are of the opinion that all this is happening because of General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani because they were subjected to barbarism during the rule of his predecessor, General Pervez Musharraf. They said that for the first time development works have been started to improve the living standard of local people.

“The quality of the development works is, however, extremely poor,” said one of the Wazir elders. “Roads built recently have crumbled in just two months. A 20-minute journey from Khaisoor to Shakai now takes well over 40 minutes because of the dilapidated condition of the road while on reaching Shakai a vehicle looks like wreckage,” he elaborated.

During meetings of this correspondent with the local people, Sardar Ajmal Khan Wazir constantly tried to make them realise that there could be no better opportunity than this to convey any message to the political and military leadership of the country. He has been telling them repeatedly that a correspondent of the country’s largest media group is with them so they should inform him about their problems.

The News also noted that the number of mosques has increased in North Waziristan since his last visit to the region. When inquired, this correspondent was told that the repeated US drone attacks have brought local population further closer to the religion. “Now every person wants to build a mosque from his own pocket,” remarked one of the tribal elders.

It was noted that unemployment is rampant in the region while the condition of some of the educational institutions is extremely poor and teachers are receiving salaries while sitting in their homes. Similarly, healthcare facilities are very scarce.

Talking to The News, Shahjahan Shah, a former member of the Agency Council, said the government should arrange respectable employment for the youth of the region. “We are patriotic Pakistanis but at the same we are also custodians of our tribal traditions. Now the situation here is getting out of our control as it is not an easy job. If the government thinks that the things will be controlled through pressure, it is their foolishness,” he said.

“If development projects are initiated at a large scale and local youth are formally involved in this process, not only the area will be developed rather it will also help in restoration of peace in the country,” he added.

Naseeb Nawaz Wazir, who is also a former member of the Agency Council and belongs to an influential family of Spinwam area of Mir Ali tehsil, told The News that people of all tribal regions, including North Waziristan, are patriotic citizens of the country and they could not even think of betraying their country. “Our youth only want respect,” he said.

The native area of Naseeb Nawaz Wazir is near Dattakhel where most of the drone attacks have so far occurred. In Shakai, this correspondent got an opportunity to converse with some local Taliban and they told The News that they are leading their lives completely in accordance with the Islamic Shariah. When told that presence of a large number of foreigners is a major threat to peace in the country, they said that hospitality is part of their traditions and they could not abandon their traditions. They also said that earlier a large number of foreigners, including Arabs and Uzbeks, were staying in the area but now there is no foreigner at least in Shakai area.

“We are fighting only anti-Islam forces. No doubt Pakistan’s religious, political and military leadership is angry with us but we too are as much patriotic as anybody else. Our ideology is, however, not a new one and it is the same since centuries. Neither the British could compel us to abandon our ideology nor will the US drone attacks be able to do so,” said one of the Taliban commanders.

The Taliban, whom this correspondent met, had astonishing information, which could not be mentioned here, but it is not difficult to judge from this fact that possession of such information is a sign of their maturity.

Shakai is an extremely beautiful valley with lofty mountains of Shawal on its one side and the Badar area on the other side is home to Mahsud tribe while on the other side it borders with Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan Agency.

During visit to North Waziristan, this correspondent noted that besides the common tribesmen, Ajmal Khan Wazir also has great influence in the local religious circles and whereas the infuriated tribal youth are seen fearing their elders, they consider Ajmal Khan Wazir their ideal. Despite all odds, majority of unemployed youth in the area want to join the Pakistan Army, he said.
Youth of NWA angry but elders still with Pakistan