Though no conditions were formally attached to the newly announced $2 billion in additional US military aid to Pakistan, diplomatic sources are reporting that the new aid is conditional on the Pakistani government launching their long-promised North Waziristan invasion in a timely fashion.
The US has been pressing for Pakistan to escalate its war in the tribal area for years, with North Waziristan almost always at the center of the targets. Previous offensives have displaced massive numbers of civilians, but netted few militant leaders.
Pakistan has committed large numbers of soldiers to the tribal areas at US behest, and launched a number of offensives, including in South Waziristan and Malakand. The invasion of North Waziristan, which is targeted almost daily by US drone strikes, remains the illusive “next step” for officials, however.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi, however, insists Pakistan won’t be rushed on the offensive, and that they “have our own sense of timing.” Starting an offensive right now might be difficult, as the region will become virtually impassable when the winter begins.
North Waziristan will also be a difficult target, as Pakistan’s government continues to have peace deals with a number of the groups in the region which the US would presumably insist on them attacking. In the South Waziristan offensive Pakistan first burned its bridges with the groups it had peace deals with there, but repeating this in North Waziristan could spark a new flurry of attacks across the region, and the Pakistani troops are already stretched to the limit.
American aid seems to buy a lot of things! For 2 billion dollars I would've thought that the U.S. would've demanded that its Generals lead the invasion of Waziristan!
I mean the Americans could use as their bona fides their outstanding military success in Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean, the whole world knows that America not only has the best trained troops in the world but knows that their Commanders are second to none.
The fact that they replace their commanders frequently is not because they are hopeless and the war went badly in Iraq and Afghanistan but because Obama wants them to retain their razor-sharp edge. The procession of Generals appearing at the white House resembles an invasion. Mrs Obama has trouble remembering their names!
Pakistan would be well advised to allow America to lead the charge (from the safety of behind the front lines of course)!
http://www.dangerouscreation.com
And whatever happened to displaced millions of previous such intrusions into once upon a time independent tribal areas? And whatever happened to displaced millions, victims of floods? Nobody is asking questions, nobody cares. The corporate-government fusion of industry, finance and media insures that the world is portrayed only as it fits its "message". The media coverage of world events are mere illustrations of what the message intends. Pakistan amply proves this. Otherwise, how can victims of the deliberate displacement and then floods, remain absolutely invisible?
Will there ever be a country that will tell our "experts" to take their money and go home?
china….it's their money anyways
If the USA is so sure of its intelligent reports why are all the previously known leaders of AlQaida and the Taliban still alive? Why the drones only kill innocent people or recently designated #3 and #4. Where are #1 and #2 — OBL and Zwahiri?
Pakistan's invasion of South Waziristan and Swat has been a disaster for civilians in those areas who have received practically no money for rebuilding. If the US really thinks that everyone in North Waziristan is a terrorists then isn't $2 billion too little? Wouldn't the Pakistanis need at least $100 billion for their useless wars, if we are spending $1 trillion for ours?
Wouldn't it be nice if the genius who included that map had chosen a different map, one that actually shows the location of all the North and South this and that mentioned in the article?
Me thought America was broke :^/