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Military wary of looming Waziristan fight

LAHORE: When the British went to war against Waziristan tribesmen more than 70 years ago, the ensuing guerrilla conflict lasted more than a decade. The British never captured the renegade leader and finally withdrew from the region. Heeding the lesson of history, the Pakistan Army is trying to isolate Baitullah Mehsud before sending its troops into battle. “We are trying to shape the environment before we move in for the fight,” Major General Athar Abbas told the Washington Post. “We are also trying to minimise the loss of life. Ours is the only institution that can stand up to the militants, but public support is crucial. When we do move in, it must be only against Baitullah and his group. We cannot afford to provoke a tribal uprising.” The results have been mixed. Last Tuesday, a Mehsud loyalist assassinated a key pro-government tribal leader and US drone strikes killed 46 people at the funeral of a slain Mehsud commander. As days pass without the launch of a full operation, experts say, Mehsud has had the time to gather support. Sources close to the armed forces said there were concerns that the military was being pushed into the new campaign too soon after the Swat campaign, which sent more than 2 million people fleeing. They said there was also concern in the military that the US drone attacks were killing only a few important militant figures but stoking anti-American sentiment throughout the tribal region. “People see them as a breach of sovereignty and think the state is leaving its citizens at their mercy.” Gen Abbas said he could not comment on the drone issue, and he would not say how soon the ground operation in Waziristan would begin. However, he said, “We are dealing with a lot of complexities and constraints. We can only go so far without hurting our long-term interests.” Abbas acknowledged that the government had decided to withdraw the army from South Waziristan in January after a brief effort to attack Mehsud, but he said the military was in a far better political position today to go after the Taliban. Abbas also said Swat was the “ideal territory for guerrilla fighters” because it was mountainous, forested and heavily populated. South Waziristan, by comparison, is barren and sparsely populated. daily times monitor

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