Pakistan, US Lock Horns over War on Terror

Source: PressTV

The Pakistani army rejects US pressure to open a new front against Afghan militants operating on its territory, a move that has added to tensions between the two countries.

In an interview Thursday in Rawalpindi, army spokesman Brig. Syed Azmat Ali denied allegations that the country was sheltering the Afghan militants.

"We can't start fighting in North Waziristan while we are in every agency in the tribal area fighting the Taliban there."

Pakistan says some 30,000 of its troops have been fighting the militants in their stronghold of South Waziristan since October.

The US has stepped up its pressure on the Pakistani army to launch a new offensive against the militants in neighboring North Waziristan region, where some Taliban affiliated militants are fighting against US-led troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

Hundreds of militants fled into Pakistan to escape a US-led invasion of Afghanistan eight years ago.

America and its NATO allies say Pakistan is reluctant to go after the Afghan Taliban, particularly the so-called Haqqani network, led by former US ally Jalaluddin Haqqani.

Meanwhile the Pakistani military spokesman highlighted that 2,000 Pakistani soldiers have been killed fighting the militants since 2001.

"We're tired of this mistrust and this questioning of our commitment and of our sincerity,'' Ali said.

The military spokesman also accused the US and NATO forces of not doing enough to stop militants and weapons crossing from over the porous Afghan border into Pakistan

Senior civilians and military officials in Islamabad say they were stretched to the limit in a bloody war against Pakistan-based militants and will not expand operations against the Afghan Taliban.

Also, the US says Pakistan is delaying hundreds of visas for US officials and contractors, a move that has added to tensions between the two countries.

The disagreements are an early sign of the problems ahead in Pakistan for US President Barack Obama, who has sent 33000 additional troops to Afghanistan to end a 9-year long conflict there.