United States CENTCOM Chief Meets Musharraf; Offensive Expected Along Pak-Afghan Border
Dated 1/4/2007
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Commander of US Central Command Admiral William J Fallon called on President General Pervez Musharraf here on Saturday and discussed with him the situation in Afghanistan and the war against terrorism.
Official sources in Islamabad claim that during the meeting here at the President's Camp Office, the CENTCOM chief expressed deep appreciation of Pakistan's efforts and its role in the war against terrorism.
He particularly mentioned the sacrifices made by Pakistan's armed forces. He said the relationship between the military's of the two countries would be strengthened.
Gen Musharraf, reiterating that Pakistan was fighting alongside the US in the war against terrorism in its own interest, said there was a need to focus on the root causes of militancy, terrorism and extremism that exist within Afghanistan. The President spoke of the elaborate security arrangements put in place along the Pakistan-Afghan border.
However anonymous sources indicate that there could very well be a NATO offensive in the border region which could spill over into Pakistani territory, information regarding which was shared with the Pakistan side.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
Its area of jurisdiction is in the Middle East, East Africa and Central Asia. CENTCOM has been the main American presence in many military operations, including the Persian Gulf War, the United States war in Afghanistan, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Forces from CENTCOM currently are deployed primarily in Iraq and Afghanistan in combat roles and have bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, Djibouti and central Asia in support roles.
PTI reports that Pakistan is rushing an additional 8,000 troops to the restive region to "reinforce" the 80,000 security men deployed along the borders with Afghanistan.
The troops are being rushed ahead of a major operation planned in the North and South Waziristan tribal agencies, 'the news' daily quoted officials as saying.
Two brigades of infantry troops have been sent to the trouble spots near the Pak-Afghan order, it said.
Defence spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad, however, said it was a "release and rotation process" under which fresh troops are sent to relieve the already deployed brigades.
But, the newspaper, quoted officials as saying that this was an additional deploy mission being planned in the troubled areas to flush out foreign terrorists. The two-brigade force has been moved from Lahore and another garrison located in Punjab province. It is in addition to the 80,000 troops already present in the tribal areas.
The officials said the government is planning to target the stronghold of foreign militants, especially of Uzbek origin. The likely operation spots are Mir Ali in North Waziristan, they said.
The operation has already been launched in Kaloosha and Azam Warsak and Shin Warsak (South Waziristan). Fierce clashes in Shin Warsak late Friday left 45 foreign militants dead, according to the government claims.