Pakistan’s Defense Ministry today announced the beginning of the Operation Prophet’s Sword against North Waziristan, an invasion of the tribal region which will include some 30,000 troops, and which the DM promised would “finish off” the Taliban “once and for all.”
It’s a prediction of decisive victory the Pakistani government has promised more than a few times in the tribal areas, but in the past, such invasions have done little but displace civilians, as most of the militants simply relocate to whatever tribal area isn’t being invaded at any given time and return when the invasion is over.
Government officials dubbed the recent attack on the Karachi airport as the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” and justified the offensive, which came after yesterday’s deadly air strikes.
Opposition figures were critical of the move, saying that the attacks would only provoke another violent backlash from the tribal militants, who have a long history of opposing government control.