a_unique_person
23rd March 2004, 03:02 AM
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/22/1079939580578.html
Fact or fiction? You decide. After all the rumours, they haven't come up with the goods.
The massive offensive against Islamic militants in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan has been dismissed by tribal leaders as a stunt aimed at "appeasing America".
Amid growing anger at mounting civilian casualties, tribal elders in Wana, the scene of the fighting, called a tribal council meeting to demand a ceasefire by Pakistani troops.
But suspected al-Qaeda fighters attacked a Pakistani army camp yesterday just hours after the military called a ceasefire to allow the elders to negotiate the militants' surrender.
Rockets were fired at the army camp and militants and troops exchanged fire for more than two hours. "They fired rockets. Then the army retaliated with artillery," one resident said. There was no immediate word of casualties.
Fighting erupted last week when security forces moved in to hunt hundreds of al-Qaeda suspects and their Pakistani tribal allies in the desolate mountains west of Wana.
The battle, involving 5000 troops, is the biggest Pakistan has ever waged in its semi-autonomous tribal border lands and is part of a major push to sweep foreign militants from the Afghan border region and catch al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Last week official Pakistan sources, apparently backed by President Pervez Musharraf, said they believed al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri might be trapped in the hills above Wana. But officials backtracked on Sunday, saying it was more likely that fighters were protecting "criminals" or that the "high value al-Qaeda target" was an Uzbek militant leader.
This has fuelled speculation that the Wana attacks were to demonstrate Pakistan's commitment to the war on terrorism at a time when the US has been pressing it to take firmer action against militants. The Pakistan military said it had arrested up to 100 "foreign militants".
Fact or fiction? You decide. After all the rumours, they haven't come up with the goods.
The massive offensive against Islamic militants in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan has been dismissed by tribal leaders as a stunt aimed at "appeasing America".
Amid growing anger at mounting civilian casualties, tribal elders in Wana, the scene of the fighting, called a tribal council meeting to demand a ceasefire by Pakistani troops.
But suspected al-Qaeda fighters attacked a Pakistani army camp yesterday just hours after the military called a ceasefire to allow the elders to negotiate the militants' surrender.
Rockets were fired at the army camp and militants and troops exchanged fire for more than two hours. "They fired rockets. Then the army retaliated with artillery," one resident said. There was no immediate word of casualties.
Fighting erupted last week when security forces moved in to hunt hundreds of al-Qaeda suspects and their Pakistani tribal allies in the desolate mountains west of Wana.
The battle, involving 5000 troops, is the biggest Pakistan has ever waged in its semi-autonomous tribal border lands and is part of a major push to sweep foreign militants from the Afghan border region and catch al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Last week official Pakistan sources, apparently backed by President Pervez Musharraf, said they believed al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri might be trapped in the hills above Wana. But officials backtracked on Sunday, saying it was more likely that fighters were protecting "criminals" or that the "high value al-Qaeda target" was an Uzbek militant leader.
This has fuelled speculation that the Wana attacks were to demonstrate Pakistan's commitment to the war on terrorism at a time when the US has been pressing it to take firmer action against militants. The Pakistan military said it had arrested up to 100 "foreign militants".