Pakistan

'Mullen quoted out of context on NWA operation'

Gen Kayani says decision for operation in North Waziristan will be made by government and political leadership.

Express December 19, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani said the statement made by US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Admiral Mike Mullen regarding the United States is losing patience with the army’s reluctance to take action in North Waziristan, had been published out of context.

Speaking to the media during the lunch hosted for Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao at the Prime Minister House on Saturday, he said that the decision to launch an operation in North Waziristan can only be made by the government and political leaders, and the army can only launch it after their approval.

Pakistan has long been under pressure by the US to launch a military offensive in North Waziristan. The Foreign Office however has denied being under US pressure to launch an offensive in the northwestern region which the US calls a ‘hub of militant activity’, saying that the operation will be launched only if it is in Pakistan’s ‘interest’.

Last month, The Express Tribune reported that the government had authorised Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to take a final decision on when and how to launch a military operation in the North Waziristan tribal region.

COMMENTS (4)

Khurram | 13 years ago | Reply @Romm. .Difficult decision for Pakistan to take and Materialize… Then they should not have promised with their mouths if they knew well that their legs would not be able to deliver and had hardly any will to fight their own surrogates whom they nurtured so well themselves. The truth of the matter is that most of the present and past General Officers (this includes all the divisional commanders and up) except a very few of them are or were suited for these lofty positions. I think time has come for them collectively to face the American Orchestra which is being setup on the stage (NWA). Like they say," you can fool some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time".

Romm | 13 years ago | Reply Difficult decision for Pakistan to take and Materialize...

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Khurram | 13 years ago | Reply My question to General Kayani is. When was the last time our army's High Command listened to their so called civilian bosses? Who is he kidding? The Americans were aware of your's and your predecessor's double-talk all along right from the very beginning but they acted patiently and said things only behind the scenes. Now the Obama administration is under enormous pressure from the electorate the war is becoming each passing day more and more unpopular they want to bring this Afghan affair to an end. The sudden surge in the drone attacks is one good indicator of that the US is running out of its enduring patience Admiral Mullen is here more to read you the riot act rather than consultation, meaning any more unwillingness on your part now to do the job you agreed willingly in the first place as a hired gun and got paid for in billions of dollars; will force the Americans to move in to do it themselves. I think time has come and it still is on our side to give it some serious thought as to what is good for the country in the long run, I know it is not an easy one, it is emotionally and morally difficult to kill the animal (talibans) we nurtured and brought up ourselves. But you have to swallow the bitter pill and get rid of this rabid animal before it kills us and save the country's honor and her sovereignty its badly injured body cannot sustain any more damage.

said nabi shah | 13 years ago | Reply pak army is the true patriotic institution in our pious contry

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