No 'steamroller' operation against extremists in North Waziristan, Kayani tells US

Washington, Mar.31 (ANI): The Pakistani Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has told the United States that Islamabad would not launch a 'steamroller' operation against extremists in North Waziristan, a top Pentagon official said.

Briefing media persons on the recent meetings between American and Pakistani military officials, a top Pentagon official, who cannot be identified in accordance with the Pentagon's law, said the Pakistan Army is unlikely to launch a military offence in North Waziristan like they did in South Waziristan, rather the 40,000 troops stationed in the region would be seen initiating several smaller operations in various parts of the region.

"My understanding is (that the Pakistani military strategy in North Waziristan) will not be similar to what they did down in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan, where they did kind of a steamroller operation. I don't think we're going to see that in North Waziristan," The Dawn quoted the official, as saying.

The official also gave a detailed description of the US' security assistance to Pakistan that has almost doubled since 2008.

In fiscal year 2008, the US provided more than one billion dollars to Pakistan in security assistance and training. This doubled in fiscal year 2009 to just over two billion dollars, and as projected, the security assistance for 2010 surpassed the amount given in 2009, the official said.

He also released details of US military assistance to Pakistan during the said period, which includes 14 F-16 aircrafts, five fast patrol boats, 115 self-propelled howitzer field artillery cannons, and more than 450 vehicles for the Frontier Corps, hundreds of night-vision goggles besides other military hardware.

"In addition, the US has provided funding and provided training for more than 370 Pakistan military officers in a wide range of leadership development programmes covering topics such as counter-terrorism, intelligence, logistics, flight safety, medical and military law," the official added. (ANI)