Pakistan’s Foreign Office insisted tonight that the government is “moving methodically” toward its long-promised full scale invasion of North Waziristan Agency, a comment seemingly aimed at curbing the growing US criticism of their lack of such an invasion.
Vice President Joe Biden was in Pakistan earlier this week, and warning the government that US patience was “wearing thin” on the promised invasion, and that they will “not wait forever” before moving against the region on their own.
The issue takes on even more importance with President Asif Ali Zardari visiting the US for the funeral of Richard Holbrooke, as State Department officials are expected to once again press him on the invasion.
Pakistan’s civilian government insisted back in November that they had already approved of the invasion, and were just letting the military decide the appropriate time to launch the attack. The US, seeking something they can spin as “progress,” seems unlikely to be willing to wait until Spring.