Speaking today in Peshawar, America’s Consul General for Peshawar, Candace Putnam, called for the Pakistani government to launch a military offensive against North Waziristan, saying it was “vitally urgent” that it be done soon.
Ms. Putnam made the comments following a statement praising the Pakistani offensive against the Swat Valley, an offensive which drove millions of civilians from their homes, killed large numbers of people, but ultimately failed to yield the capture of any members of the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leadership for the region.
The US has been pressing for a new offensive against North Waziristan for months, ostensibly to target the TTP’s leadership. Yet it is well documented that the TTP’s top leaders left North Waziristan in late May, making the pressing need for the attack questionable, at best.
At America’s behest, Pakistan has launched offensives against Swat Valley, Bajaur, South Waziristan, Orakzai, and Khyber. Those regions have all been torn virtually apart by the offensives, which netted large body counts, but no leaders of note. Pakistan has recently suggested it will launch another new offensive against South Waziristan, but has been mum on any impending attack on North Waziristan.