Pak Army has achieved "Operational Surprise":US

[fatman17]

Pak Army has achieved "Operational Surprise":US

Washington (online) - Appreciating the sustained military offensive against the Taliban in the Swat Valley, a top US general Friday said Pakistan Army has achieved "Operational Surprise" in the region, given the adverse conditions they went into.

"I believe they achieved operational surprise - which is really difficult in this day and age, with constant media coverage and the speed of the internet", General James Conway, Commandant of the USMC said at a National Press Club luncheon.

"They have achieved operational surprise because they did what they are doing now from a standing start" he said.

"There was no threat, there was no build-up of military capability, there were no warning shots provided. with the forces they have in the field, they simply started going at the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda in Swat", General Comway said.

Praising that Pakistan has been able to sustain such an effort so far, General Conway said: "General Kiyani would say that I am recognising that we are accepting risk here, but this is an existential threat and he is doing something about it".

General Conway said they have done masterful things with regard to the information operations effort that must be in place when one takes these people on. "You see the villagers siding with the army now, conducting independent operations or being relying upon the army to assist them in what they're doing".

"Its all very wholesome. we wish them continued success and salute them for what I think, again, has been a masterful military maneuver at this point, based on what we have seen", Conway said.

The Nation | The Nation is the most credible of English Newspapers in Pakistan.

 

[muse]

they have done masterful things with regard to the information operations effort that must be in place when one takes these people on. "You see the villagers siding with the army now, conducting independent operations or being relying upon the army to assist them in what they're doing".

"Its all very wholesome.

SUCCESSFUL Counter insurgency is about the populace, you win them, there is nothing left for the insurgent. The islamist information operation told us that the people wanted the Talib, they told us that the local people were "conservatives" thereby changing the very meaning of the word, after all since when was islamism the islam of our forefathers? What was there to conserve?.

The islamist insurgency told us that it knew and had corrected the grievances of the people, we were told that "Nizam e Adl" would bring speedy justice, as if every resident of Swat had a case pending in the courts.

Islamists information operations told us that people did not want their Maleks and instead chose a cleric, whom they would call a "scholar".

Now Pakistanis see the truth for themselves, and increasingly so does the world.

 

[fatman17]

"They have achieved operational surprise because they did what they are doing now from a standing start" he said.

....cold start!....

 

[ajpirzada]

glad to see appreciation comin from those who were sayin pak army needs trainin to carry out such operations...
God bless our Soldiers

 

[fatman17]

glad to see appreciation comin from those who were sayin pak army needs trainin to carry out such operations...
God bless our Soldiers

None but the Brave!

 

[Xeric]

"They have achieved operational surprise because they did what they are doing now from a standing start" he said.

....cold start!....

The indians might accuse us of plagiarism, sir!

------

Well this is what we call excellent military planning, no one was knowing nuffin, on one side people were concerned about the Peace Deal and NA, and the next day we find the military inside everywhere.

They have learnt from past that if this time the terrorists are given space to breath, they'll never be able to catch them for guud.

i call it daayin ki dikha k baayin ki marna!

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

The pak army news media has to sell the foreign countries media on how difficult and treacherous the terrain is. The americans don't see and understand the difficulty of campaign in this area---there have to be more documentaries made on this issue. Americans are so used to seeing the campain in iraq---they truly can't comprehend the difficulty in pakistan---" they assume us to be towel heads---and all towel heads live in similiar geographic areas ". That is what the mentality and thinking of an average american is.

I mean to say---that there are valleys after valleys after valleys---then there are trees on the slopes of the mountains---dense forests of evergreens---dirt trails---wild brush and caves---enemy hidden on the slopes of one mountain can wreak havoc on the troops copming up on the slope of opposing mountain---a nightmare situation for any army to fight the insurgency.

Americans need to told about the difficulties about 6 to 10 times in a continuous manner, before they start to understand as to how difficult the task is. Once our media has gained headway----then they need to continuously press on with the story of hardship on the troops---when the enemy has the same / similiar weapons as the millitarty soldiers---high altitude warfare is not so simple---you can't move your tanks up the slope and neither can you move your big guns---you have to confront the enemy with light weapons---guess what---the enemy has the same weapons as well---the soldier has to carry all his ammo on his person---the insurgent has it hidden at multiple convinient locations.. The mountains and the slopes are foreign to the soldier---but to the insurgent they are their backwoods----they are on their own turf---there is so much going against the millitary fighting a close to high altitude war against the insurgents who happen to live their all the time---it indeed is a herculean task.

 

[Kasrkin]

It would be interesting to see if the Pakistani media picks up on this, what can only be described as a glowing endorsement of our efforts in Swat, by a very important US general. On the other hand though since this is the US we’re talking about, it might be best that our media let it pass (since praise from the US will only provoke further outrage from the air-heads of our country).

 

[Jihad]

Surprise?
Calling our succes and achievements of the Pakistani Army, Government and People a surprise is actually quite an insult for all of them, especially for the armed forces.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that our Army is winning a war versus militants inside it's OWN country.

 

[aimarraul]

Pak Army took care of Taliban in couple of weeks ,but US is still struggling in Afghanistan even 8 years past,it's really hard for me to buy that US is there for terrorists.we are so proud of that china have a friend like Pakistan,best wishes to all the pakistan hero .

 

[Desertfalcon]

Surprise?
Calling our succes and achievements of the Pakistani Army, Government and People a surprise is actually quite an insult for all of them, especially for the armed forces.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that our Army is winning a war versus militants inside it's OWN country.

The General didn't say he was surprised, he said the Pakistani Army achieved surprise. I don't think any American General who knows what is what would be surprised at Pakistan's professionalism.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

"‘These have been quite impressive operations and I think Pakistan deserves some significant credit for it … the concepts are solid and the execution is on track,’ said Gen Petraeus.

Again with the help of slides, the general showed where the Pakistani troops were positioned in the valleys and on the edges of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

‘There have been shifts, as they have announced, of forces from India to the west and in some cases, those are very important shifts that have taken place,’ the general concluded."

DAWN.COM | World | Pakistan showing considerable resolve: Gen Petraeus

 

[fatman17]

Pak Army took care of Taliban in couple of weeks ,but US is still struggling in Afghanistan even 8 years past,it's really hard for me to buy that US is there for terrorists.we are so proud of that china have a friend like Pakistan,best wishes to all the pakistan hero .

my friend its far from over - come down to reality!

 

[iioal malik]

right operation Rah-e-Rast is far away from over we all need to understand this it's not only killing the talibans but makeing sure that they never come back...god bless pakistan and it's people

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

Taliban have always been routed in early skirmishes---they had a tendency to stage a comeback at a later date. But right now with pak army going after them in their strongholds, it won't be easy for them. The next step is to stop the flow of money from middle east and other sources and stop the flow of arms from afghanistan.

Pakistan has taken too much time to confront this menace---they should have been routed and neutralized years ago. The complacency by the leadership and more so by the pakistani has lead us to this point.

The truth to the matter is that my pakistani public had their heads buried in the sand for the longest of the time----it is an age old habbit of ours---as a matter of fact it is our national heritage---in order for us to react---we at first need our house to catch on fire---we need our own sons and daughters killed and mutilated---we need to see our dear ones slaughtered for us to understand and accept that there is a problem that needs to be taken care of---every body in the neighbourhood knows that the woman has loose character---only the husband is the last one to accept---everybody in the world knew what the taliban and al qaeda were upto---only we didnot want to believe them---.

Our options have become open after terrible deaths and destruction and then there are fools amongst us who still have their doubts. If there was ever an award given for "thick headedness", we the pakistanis would be in the fore front of the line to recieve it.

Now coming back to that comment about pakistan army has reached operational surprise----let me state the truth behind it---it has taken around 7 plus years for the generals of the army to wake up and do something---all these coin and anti terrorist operations are a P O S---if the millitary generals had done their job and understood the level of threat 7 years ago---there would have been no excuses anymore to what was not done---if pakistani public had opened their eyes to the threat---we would not have become a pariah nation of the world---it is the basics of security---it is the class 101 of security---and on top of the list is common sense about security matters and second item is to take security issues seriously.

That is all that is needed---a committment to the issue and accept the seriousness of the situation and make the security agencies understand that and then let the public understand what is happening and what is going to happen.

We have need to check our level of stupidity or what ever you may call it---when we say---oh it can't be done by a muslim---oh islam does not teach that----nuslims don't do these things---we are muslims---how can muslims kill other muslims like that---.

We the pakistanis had no clue and neither we could understand that killing is not a muslim or a non muslim issue---killing is a human issue---regardless of one being a muslim or a non muslim---people get thrilled by killing others---they get a high when they cut anyone's throat in public---in the presence of witnesses---to show their masculinity men kill---to seek pleasure men kill---then they want to kill more and then they form their gangs and then the gangs go out to kill---theyu get young children invovled---and give them the power of life and death over whomsoever they chose to kill---it is such a viscious and ruthless circle---once it starts---it just doesnot end that easy. Islam has nothing to do with it---it just gives them a justifiable resource to claim it in the name of islam---it give them the righteous authority to kill in the name of Allah.

Us Pakistanis have a major major identity crisis---we look everywhere else for our salvation accept for our own hearts and souls---we look at everyone else ( the arabs and co ) as holier than us and bow down to kow tow the ubbayiah---.

This comment by the american general means---at least pak army has gotten off their behinds after seven years to do the job---and now it finds out that it was not so difficult in the first place.