“Meanwhile, the army will continue to “˜stage” operations … selectively to show that serious attention is being given to fighting the war on terror.”
“Swat offensive leaves India sceptical,” from the Daily Times, May 18:
LONDON: The offensive against the Taliban in the Swat valley has done nothing to allay Indian doubts about the military”s willingness to crack down more widely on militants, analysts say.
That leaves both countries vulnerable to a flare-up of tensions still simmering after last November’s attack on Mumbai, which could torpedo the US administration’s plans for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
It also complicates US efforts to coax Pakistan into moving troops from its eastern border with India to fight the Taliban on its western border with Afghanistan.
No intention: Gurmeet Kanwal at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi said he believed the Pakistan Army considered the Taliban, especially the Afghan Taliban, to be a strategic asset “and has no intentions whatsoever of fighting them“.
“Meanwhile, the army will continue to “˜stage” operations … selectively to show that serious attention is being given to fighting the war on terror,” he said.
Target: Indian analysts argue that Pakistan will selectively target groups such as the militants in the Swat valley to ease US pressure while leaving so-called “anti-India” assets alone….