General: No N. Waziristan operation soon

There are no current plans for an offensive in North Waziristan, said a Pakistani general in charge of the region, seen as a sanctuary for militant groups. The comments from Lt. Gen. Asif Yasin Malik came amid Pakistani and other reports of a Pakistani military operation in North Waziristan, which the United States and other NATO countries have long seen as a sanctuary from where militants launch attacks on coalition troops across the border in Afghanistan. The Pakistani military, despite pressure from the West, has not launched any major campaign so far. North Waziristan is "calm, peaceful and stable," Malik told reporters who had visited Mohmand Agency, another tribal area, the Voice of America reported. The Pakistani military commander said there are more than 30,000 troops stationed in North Waziristan. "I have no such plans as far as I am concerned," Malik said. "We will undertake operations when we want to and when it is militarily and otherwise in the national interest to undertake such operations." North Waziristan is also believed to be the hideout of the Haqqani network, allegedly close to Pakistan's main spy agency. Malik did not agree his troops are reluctant to go after the Haqqani network, the VOA report said. "Anybody who is hostile to Pakistan, who is hostile to my troops in the area, who is destabilizing the area, I have to tackle with him, Haqqani or no Haqqani," he said. "So we are fighting everybody and anybody who is challenging the writ of the state." Pakistani media reports had said the decision on a North Waziristan campaign was developed during last weekend visits of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.