Pakistan, U.S at odds on enemies in terror war

Pakistani soldiers stand beside weapons and ammunitions confiscated from militants after a November gunbattle in Ladha, a town in the tribal region of South Waziristan along the Afghan border.


Pakistan, U.S at odds on enemies in terror war
By Kathy Gannon - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Dec 17, 2009 16:54:55 EST

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Bristling at criticism from Washington, Pakistan’s army dismissed U.S. pressure to open a front against Afghan militants operating on its territory, saying Thursday it was stretched to the limit in a bloody war against its own Taliban.

The disagreement is an early sign of the problems ahead in Pakistan for the Obama administration, which desperately needs the country’s help against militants sheltering along its northwestern border if its new strategy to turn around the Afghan war is going to succeed.

Also a concern is the growing weakness of the democratically elected leader, President Asif Ali Zardari, an unpopular U.S. ally in a country that has spent about half its history under military rule. A court ruling Wednesday struck down a graft amnesty, raising the possibility of legal challenges to his rule.

In an interview in Rawalpindi, headquarters of the Pakistani army and scene of several recent attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, army spokesman Brig. Syed Azmat Ali denied allegations it was sheltering Afghan Taliban fighters.

He said the army — which still deploys most of its troops along the eastern border facing the country’s traditional enemy, India — had to go “step by step” while clearing militants from the northwestern tribal regions, which have never been under government control.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_pakistan_taliban_attack_121709/