Swat operation has ‘bleak’ chance of achieving success: US expert
May 14th, 2009 - 2:36 pm ICT by ANI ( Leave a comment )
Lahore, May 14 (ANI): While Pakistan has claimed to have sanitized hundreds of Taliban operatives during the ongoing military operation in the Swat Valley, a US expert has said the offensive has a ‘bleak’ chance of achieving success and yielding the desired result.
Key US strategist, David Kilcullen said that due to Pakistan Army’s inexperience and its refusal to accept help from the West in the operation, the success of the Swat military offensive is doubtful.
Kilcullen, a leading adviser of the CENTCOM chief General David Petraeus, said the Swat operation’s failure would ultimately endanger the international mission in Afghanistan by cutting off NATO supply routes.
He said the Pakistan Army has no counterinsurgency capability.
“The Pakistani military has no capability for what we would call counterinsurgency. What they are doing in the Swat valley is a conventional offensive. They need a more sophisticated approach and they need training and assistance, which they are currently refusing,” The Daily Times quoted Kilcullen, as saying.
Kilcullen said the operation would hardly witness any change in situation in times to come.
“I’m not sure that, looking back on this in six months, we will see any improvement,” he said. (ANI)
- NATO-Pak to hold 'more hammer and anvil operations' on Pak-Afghan border: Petraeus - Dec 27, 2010
- US-Pak secret efforts on to weed out Al-Qaeda from FATA: Petraeus - Dec 08, 2010
- CENTCOM chief Petraeus in Pak, to discuss weapons delivery - Aug 19, 2009
- Petraeus to commence third US 'war' in Pakistan as CIA chief: Report - Apr 30, 2011
- US wants Pak action against Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in North Waziristan - Mar 19, 2011
- World's most dangerous country Pak 'a lost cause', says top US military adviser - Jun 04, 2009
- Flood relief efforts force Pakistan Army to alter plans against terrorists - Sep 14, 2010
- Holbrooke's death leaves major void in Obama's Afghan strategy - Dec 14, 2010
- Pak must act against Afghan Taliban on its soil: US officials - Dec 31, 2009
- US reluctant to openly support Waziristan offensive - Oct 21, 2009
- CENTCOM Advisor gives Pakistan six months before it collapses - Mar 23, 2009
- Kayani, top US official have short, crisp talk - Apr 26, 2011
- CENTCOM chief discusses US-Pak military cooperation with Wynne - Apr 08, 2011
- Pak fighting for its own survival in Swat, Malakand: Petraeus - Jun 17, 2009
- Pressure on Pak to reign in Haqqani network following proof provided by US - Jun 17, 2010
Tags: achieving success, adviser, afghanistan, capability, centcom, chief general, david kilcullen, david petraeus, general david petraeus, inexperience, military operation, nato, operatives, pakistan army, pakistani military, six months, sophisticated approach, strategist, swat valley, taliban