Army Chief Kayani dispels reports of joint North Waziristan operation

[Devil Soul]

Army Chief Kayani dispels reports of joint North Waziristan operation

August 17, 2012

RAWALPINDI: The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has categorically dispelled given to ISAF Commander General John Allen about the Pakistan Army’s readiness to launch joint operations in North Waziristan Agency (NWA).

According to an ISPR press release, the Army Chief dispelled these reports during a meeting with US CENTCOM Commander General James Mattis.

COAS clarified Pakistan’s position by referring to Secretary Clinton’s statement of 3 July 2012, in which she talked of "coordinated actions against terrorists who threaten Pakistan and the region.” It is important to distinguish between ‘coordinated action’ and ‘joint operation’. ‘Coordinated action’ implies that Pakistan Army and ISAF conduct operation on respective sides of Pak - Afghan Border.

For such actions, intelligence sharing is the mainstay of mutual cooperation. Contrarily, a ‘joint operation’ implies that the two forces are physically employed jointly on either side of the border. A’ joint operation’ in this sense is unacceptable to the people and Armed Forces of Pakistan, hence, has always been our clearly stated red line.

COAS clearly reiterated Pakistan’s repeated perspective: we might, if necessary, undertake operations in NWA, in the timeframe of our choosing and determined only by our political and military requirements. It will never be a result of any outside pressure. Pakistan’s national interest continues to be the prime consideration for any decision in this regard.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the level of cooperation between the two militaries and resolved to continue it to further improve relations between the two countries.



http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=63782

 

[Dance]

Joint operation or no its high time they go into NWA and clear it out.

Theres a big internal pressure now after the attack on Kamra and the bus attack that killed 25 to go there and finish any remaining terrorist strongholds.

How many more people have to die before we start taking things seriously and finish these people once and for all?

 

[Haseebullah]

What happened to the PA offensive into NWA thread!
That was quite good!

 

[KRAIT]

What if US don't check Pak-Afghan border where militants can cross to get away from Pakistan's action into safe sanctuaries and return back when the attack is over....?

 

[Haseebullah]

What if US don't check Pak-Afghan border where militants can cross to get away from Pakistan's action into safe sanctuaries and return back when the attack is over....?

Not really a "what if"
The US failed to keep a check on the Afghan border during the op in South Waziristan!

 

[W.11]

Joint operation or no its high time they go into NWA and clear it out.

Theres a big internal pressure now after the attack on Kamra and the bus attack that killed 25 to go there and finish any remaining terrorist strongholds.

How many more people have to die before we start taking things seriously and finish these people once and for all?

i think its time they start their home work now, our jawans had their heads cut like barbarian attack from afghanistan, they are not the right mouths to tell about whats good and whats bad now, they should clear the area where the terrorists attack our posts and on which we are continuously shelling to avoid another attack again

those in NW arnt danger to pakistan period

 

[Dance]

i think its time they start their home work now, our jawans had their heads cut like barbarian attack from afghanistan, they are not the right mouths to tell about whats good and whats bad now, they should clear the area where the terrorists attack our posts and on which we are continuously shelling to avoid another attack again

those in NW arnt danger to pakistan period

NWA is a TTP stronghold.

TTP is a major threat to Pakistan and plus why do we even have areas that are in control of terrorists. Every area in Pakistan should be in control of Pakistan- not the TTP, Haqqanis, or whatever group.

What if US don't check Pak-Afghan border where militants can cross to get away from Pakistan's action into safe sanctuaries and return back when the attack is over....?

Thats why we need the cooperation of the U.S/NATO and they should do their job of guarding the border on the Afghan side so such things don't happen.

I think its time for both NATO/U.S and Pakistan to finish this once and for all. How many years are we going to let this drag on?

 

[W.11]

NWA is a TTP stronghold.

TTP is a major threat to Pakistan and plus why do we even have areas that are in control of terrorists. Every area in Pakistan should be in control of Pakistan- not the TTP, Haqqanis, or whatever group.

firat tell that to USA who is not even in control of 75% of afghanistan

 

[Dance]

firat tell that to USA who is not even in control of 75% of afghanistan

Afghanistan dosen't matter.

Pakistan should be in control of all of its territory and it isn't.

 

[Areesh]

NWA is a TTP stronghold.

TTP is a major threat to Pakistan and plus why do we even have areas that are in control of terrorists. Every area in Pakistan should be in control of Pakistan- not the TTP, Haqqanis, or whatever group.

Are we done with the terrorists living in our cities? Has our so called free judiciary punished even a single terrorist in past 10 years? Do we have a proper counter terrorism policy? Do we have a dedicated anti- terrorism body in our country? Do we have special anti-terrorism laws in our country? Did our parliament tried to formulate a national policy against terrorism? Are we ready to expose the countries on diplomatic level who are somehow involved in terrorism inside Pakistan. If the answers to above are ion NO then no thank you. We don't want another operation in NWA. I don't want my soldiers to die in some useless operation.

 

[Dance]

Are we done with the terrorists living in our cities? Has our so called free judiciary punished even a single terrorist in past 10 years? Do we have a proper counter terrorism policy? Do we have a dedicated anti- terrorism body in our country? Do we have special anti-terrorism laws in our country? Did our parliament tried to formulate a national policy against terrorism? Are we ready to expose the countries on diplomatic level who are somehow involved in terrorism inside Pakistan. If the answers to above are ion NO then no thank you. We don't want another operation in NWA. I don't want my soldiers to die in some useless operation.

So what you do suggest?

Should we let North Waziristan be a terrorist haven? Should we just sit back do nothing and let them keep attacking our people? Our soliders are already dying without them even setting foot into north Waziristan. They are going to keep attacking us until we go after them seriously.

This operation is long overdue and we should stop giving concessions to people who have no issue killing Pakistani citizens.

 

[Areesh]

So what you do suggest?

Should we let North Waziristan be a terrorist haven? Should we just sit back do nothing and let them keep attacking our people? Our soliders are already dying without even setting foot into north Waziristan. They are going to keep attacking us until we go after them seriously.

It is just the media propaganda that North Waziristan is the terror heaven. Yeah there are terrorist elements there. But such elements are present in all Pakistan since they know that nobody is going to apprehend them in this country. And even if they are caught by some law enforcing agency, they know they would be acquitted by our judiciary. Let's take the example of Baluchistan. Terrorist organizations like BLA, BRA or BLF don't operate from North Waziristan. Then why are they operating so freely killing everyone whom they wish in Balochistan. What have we done to quell them? They pull people out of buses in broad day light and shoot them dead claiming them to be "Punjabi settlers" and none of the attackers are arrested in this country. In fact media and our civil society have soft corner for them since they are "oppressed Baloch" who have some grievances.

I am telling you again. Such operations aren't going to take us nowhere. We are firing bullets in the dark and this is taking our country to a compete collapse.

 

[karan.1970]

It is just the media propaganda that North Waziristan is the terror heaven. Yeah there are terrorist elements there. But such elements are present in all Pakistan since they know that nobody is going to apprehend them in this country. And even if they are caught by some law enforcing agency, they know they would be acquitted by our judiciary. Let's take the example of Baluchistan. Terrorist organizations like BLA, BRA or BLF don't operate from North Waziristan. Then why are they operating so freely killing everyone whom they wish in Balochistan. What have we done to quell them? They pull people out of buses in broad day light and shoot them dead claiming them to be "Punjabi settlers" and none of the attackers are arrested in this country. In fact media and our civil society have soft corner for them since they are "oppressed Baloch" who have some grievances.

I am telling you again. Such operations aren't going to take us nowhere. We are firing bullets in the dark and this is taking our country to a compete collapse.

You missed the name of Hafiz Saeed in the list of terrorists acquitted by your judiciary ...

 

[Dance]

It is just the media propaganda that North Waziristan is the terror heaven. Yeah there are terrorist elements there. But such elements are present in all Pakistan since they know that nobody is going to apprehend them in this country. And even if they are caught by some law enforcing agency, they know they would be acquitted by our judiciary. Let's take the example of Baluchistan. Terrorist organizations like BLA, BRA or BLF don't operate from North Waziristan. Then why are they operating so freely killing everyone whom they wish in Balochistan. What have we done to quell them? They pull people out of buses in broad day light and shoot them dead claiming them to be "Punjabi settlers" and none of the attackers are arrested in this country. In fact media and our civil society have soft corner for them since they are "oppressed Baloch" who have some grievances.

I am telling you again. Such operations aren't going to take us nowhere. We are firing bullets in the dark and this is taking our country to a compete collapse.

I agree with your overall point.


And I don't know why nothing is being done in Balochistan. I mentioned in another thread that North Waziristan isn't the only problem area in Pakistan there are more and something should be done about them too.

Even if some terrorist elements are present, there really should be no terrorist elements present anywhere. A North Waziristan operation probably won't finish the TTP, but it will make them weaker just like the other operations have made them weaker. By leaving them alone is going to do nothing, they've already proven that they cannot be trusted. And whenever we leave them alone they still attack us and cause misery on the people who's land they've occupied.

 

[Devil Soul]

No timeframe: Kayani hints at blitz in North Waziristan
By Kamran Yousaf
Published: August 18, 2012
ISLAMABAD:
Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani indicated on Friday that Pakistan might launch a fresh military offensive in the restive North Waziristan Agency (NWA), but stressed that it would not be initiated at the behest of any outside power.
“We might, if necessary, undertake operations in NWA, in the timeframe of our choosing and determined only by our political and military requirements. It will never be a result of any outside pressure,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), following talks with the head of US Central Command (Centcom) General James Mattis.
Gen Mattis arrived in Islamabad late Thursday evening, where senior officials said he would meet the army chief to discuss how to eliminate their “common enemy” – Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud.
Sources said the military was planning for a push against the TTP in North Waziristan but did not want to be seen as aligned with the US because of the likely public backlash.
According to the ISPR statement, the army chief said Pakistan’s national interest continues to be the prime consideration for any decision regarding the military offensive in North Waziristan.
Gen Kayani, during a meeting with Gen Mattis, also denied reports that he had given any ‘understanding’ to General John Allen, the head of the Nato/Isaf mission in Afghanistan, about Pakistan’s willingness to launch joint operations in the restive tribal areas.
He clarified Pakistan’s position by referring to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement on July 3, 2012, in which she talked of “coordinated action against terrorists who threaten Pakistan and the region.”
The statement went to great lengths to stress that it was “important” to distinguish between ‘coordinated action’ and a ‘joint operation’: “Coordinated action implies that the Pakistan Army and Isaf conduct an operation on their respective sides of the Pak-Afghan Border, for which intelligence sharing is the mainstay of mutual cooperation. Contrarily, a ‘joint operation’ implies that the two forces are physically employed jointly on either side of the border.
“A joint operation in this sense is unacceptable to the people and Armed Forces of Pakistan, hence, has always been our clearly stated red line,” the statement read.
It further said the two generals expressed satisfaction over the level of cooperation between their militaries and resolved to continue to further improve relations between the two countries. The US Embassy also released a statement on Friday, terming Mattis’ talks with senior Pakistani leaders successful.
According to the statement, General Mattis held meetings with Gen Kayani, Secretary of Defense Lt Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik and other senior military officials on a “wide range of common security issues, (including) militant network activities and measures to improve cross-border cooperation.
“They agreed to continue to meet periodically to further common objectives on cross-border cooperation and regional security,” the statement added. An American diplomat said that Gen Mattis highlighted the importance of Pakistan going after the ‘deadliest’ Afghan insurgents, the Haqqani network, to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He also acknowledged the sacrifices made by the Pakistan military in their fight against militants, and offered his condolences for the nearly 5,000 Pakistani military personnel who have fallen in support of that cause.
(Read: General Kayani in Kakul)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2012.