Pakistan faces challenges over operation against Taliban
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Pakistan Taliban have launched a fresh series of attacks at some important targets since the end of September, which claimed lives of more than 100 people. The enraged Pakistani government has decided to launch military operation against militants in the country's tribal area South Waziristan, but there will be a lot of difficulties on the road to the clearance of Taliban militants in Pakistan.
The new head of the Taliban in Pakistan, Hakimullah Mehsud, met reporters in early October in the country's northwest tribal areas for the first time since gaining control. He said his group would avenge the killing of its former chief Baitullah Mehsud and strike back at Pakistan and the United States for the increasing number of drone attacks in the tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.
Then a series of attacks were waged in several areas of Pakistan, including the capital city of Islamabad where security forces are keeping high alert. On Oct. 10 the militants even attacked Pakistani army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and held hostage dozens of security forces and civilians.
Analysts said that Hakimullah wants to use the attacks to reunite Taliban factions and strengthen his own authority in the outlawed group. He also wants to demonstrate that Pakistan Taliban have rallied after the killing of its chief Baitullah Mehsud and could target any institution at will.
The Pakistani government has been irritated and Interior Minister Rehman Malik has vowed that the government has no option but starts the army offensive against the militants in South Waziristan.
On the same day when the army headquarters was attacked, the political and military leadership of Pakistan finally decided to carry out military operation in restive South Waziristan tribal areas after a meeting in the presidential house, local TV channels reported.
However, it is obvious that Pakistani security forces will face fierce resistance in the tribal areas. The Pakistani government has carried out three military operations in the region since 2001 but gained little. Almost every time the authorities had to negotiate with militant leaders for agreements to get peace for some time in the country.
South Waziristan, the semi-autonomous tribal belt along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, is the main bastion of Tehreek- e-Taliban Pakistan and almost is out of control of the Pakistani government. Extremism and terrorism have been growing fast in the region in recent years due to the underdevelopment of economy and culture.
According to Pakistani officials, militants involved in all kinds of suicide blasts across the country in recent years had links with Taliban leaders of the tribal area. Washington claims that Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants who fled Afghanistan after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion are holed up in the region.
Analysts estimate that about 10,000 Taliban militants are in the tribal region. They are well trained and have rich experience of fighting against the government and the U.S. army. They have built infrastructure in their strongholds for many years and made preparations for the upcoming ground operation.
Besides, as the majority of tribes in the area are used to keeping away from the government, maybe the later will not get much support from the local tribes. This also makes it more difficult for the security forces to succeed in the operation in the mountainous region about which they know little because few officials could enter the area.
On the other side, the bilateral relations between Pakistan and India were hurt by Mumbai attacks, which killed nearly 170 people and injured over 300 others last November. The "composite dialogue " between the two countries has been at standstill until now. Pakistan has fought three wars against India and still considers it the country's main threat. It is unlikely to shift troops from eastern border with Indian to the Waziristan area to fight the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.
Military spokesman Athar Abbas said Tuesday that the military has blocked all entry and exit points to Waziristan agencies as a preliminary move. He said the military is using long range artillery and aerial strikes to soften up targets including hideouts of the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other foreign militants in the area.
However, analysts believe that the militants would come back after a military operation if the Pakistani government could not establish its authority in the tribal areas, lift the living standard of the local people and get extremism under control. Therefore there is a long way for the government to clear the militants and finally win the war on terror.
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