Most FATA lawmakers against military offensive in Waziristan

October 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The terrorist attack on the Pakistan Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Saturday that left 20 people dead may accelerate plans for a full-scale military offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in South Waziristan. Army's main target is likely to be the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which operates in South Waziristan, the Wall Street Journal reports.

October 11th, 2009 NEW YORK - A former top Pakistani police official has said Saturday's ghastly terror strike on the Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was a result of the failure of the security forces to counter the extremists in South Waziristan effectively. Arbab Hidayatullah, an expert of national security, said the GHQ attack had occurred because the Pakistan military had given a free hand to the extremists.

October 6th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have vowed to launch a full-scale military offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in South Waziristan. Their decision comes in the wake of the recent reports claiming that the Pakistan Army is all set to launch a ground offensive in the Taliban stronghold, as it has stationed the required helicopters at bases in the area.

September 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that Islamabad is yet to decide whether it should launch a full-scale military operation in Waziristan to clear Taliban militants from the tribal areas. He, however, said that Pakistan would take necessary action to flush out the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), "the front face of al Qaeda." "Let's not forget, it's not only the TTP which is operating there.

September 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Government has said that it has credible evidence that there are more than 5,000 Uzbek militants hiding in North and South Waziristan. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON), FATA Additional Chief Secretary Habibullah Khan said these militants regularly travel through Balochistan.

September 7th, 2009 PESHAWAR - At least 15 more Taliban extremists were killed in Pakistan military's counter insurgency operation and a drone attack in the Khyber and North Waziristan areas. While 10 militants were killed in the Tirah valley during anti-militancy offensive, a US drone targeted an alleged militant hideout and a madrassa in Machikhel village in North Waziristan killing five persons on the spot besides injuring six others, The Daily Times reports "The strike targetted a madrassa and an adjoining house in Machikhel village in North Waziristan.

August 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Army has said that it would require months to prepare for a ground offensive against the Taliban in their South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border. Lieutenant-General Nadeem Ahmed, Commander of the 1 Strike Corps in Mangla in Pakistan Kashmir, said this while reacting to comments made by visiting US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke.

August 9th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - In a bid to ensure that Islamabad doesn't call off or delay its military offensive in Waziristan following the reported death of Baitullah Mehsud, the United States has told Pakistan to continue fighting the war on terror in the tribal areas. "The Obama administration is pleased over the death of Baitullah Mehsud, but it is against any decision by Islamabad to delay the South Waziristan offensive for long or call it off," The Nation quoted a diplomatic source, as saying.

July 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Friday's helicopter crash in which 26 security personel were killed in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas' (FATA) Orakzai Agency, is being seen as a serious blow to the Pakistan Army ahead of the its planned all out offensive against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan. The ISPR may have denied any foul play in the M-17 crash saying a technical snag had triggered the crash, but sources said that extremists hiding in the terrains targeted the military chopper with sophisticated artillery.

July 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - The Pakistan Army may have been planning an all out assault against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in his stronghold of South Waziristan, but experts believe that the operation could result in further disappointment for the United States. South Asia specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, Daniel Markey, warned that Pakistan "may be biting off too much" by initiating an offensive against the Taliban chieftain in his stronghold without establishing total command in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

June 23rd, 2009 PESHAWAR - Six people were killed and several others injured in a US drone attack Tuesday in the South Waziristan agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the border with Afghanistan, a media report said. Quoting sources, Geo TV said US drones fired three missiles at a house in Ladha sub district, a stronghold of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud.

June 21st, 2009 PESHAWAR - As the Pakistan Army intensified its offensive against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan, some highly placed sources have revealed that the warlord along with his top commander, Maulana Fazalullah, has shifted base to Mirali region of North Waziristan. According to sources, Mehsud and Fazalullah both were hiding in South Waziristan, but sneaked into North Waziristan soon after the government announced an all out operation against them.

June 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - With the Pakistan government announcing a Swat like military offensive in South Waziristan with a primary motive to hunt down the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, the NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan are also ready to extend help. The allied forces stationed in Afghanistan will likely extend help in Pakistan's military offensive, by sharing important intelligence inputs in order to prevent a probable spill-over of the militants, The Nation reports.

June 16th, 2009 LAHORE - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has expressed concern over the government going ahead with the 'Get Betullah' mission in Waziristan, without taking the party leadership into confidence. According to The Nation, the PML(N) leadership thinks that it would have been better if the Swat, Malakand operations had been completed first and the Internally Displaced People had been rehabilitated.

April 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - At least twenty militants were reportedly killed in an offensive launched by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the Orakzai region of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Pakistan military officials have claimed. According to the Dawn, PAF jets and helicopter gunships launched an attack targeting a close aide of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, Hakimullah Mehsud, who had claimed the responsibility for a suicide car-bomb attack on a security convoy in which 25 security personnel were killed near Kohat town of the agency.