Pak military still focused on India: US

Lalit K Jha

Washington, May 15 (PTI) US has said that Pakistan's
military is still "heavily focused" on India even as there are
recent encouraging signs of Islamabad shifting focus to its
western border, where it is battling Taliban militants.

Chairman of Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen
also termed Pakistan's military action against Taliban in
restive tribal areas as "encouraging", but said the "biggest
question" is about sustainability of such operations.

He along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates testified
before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday, seeking
lawmaker's approval for the war funding.

Responding to a question from Senator John McCain
about Pakistan's obsession with India, Mullen, who was
recently in Islamabad, said the Pakistan Army still is
"heavily focused on India", even as there are recent
encouraging signs of shifting the focus on its western border.

"There is much more focus on counterinsurgency and on
the West than there had been. He (Pak Army Chief General
Pervez Ashfaq Kayani) has moved troops to the West. But I
still think we've got a long way to go with respect to the
entire army thinking that the only existential threat they
have is from the west," Mullen said.

On the military operations in Pakistan, he said: "The
biggest question about these operations (military offensive
against Taliban in Pakistan) is their ability to sustain them
over time."

"Historically they (Pakistan Army) haven't done that.
So right now I'm encouraged by what's happened, but I
certainly withhold any judgment about where it goes, because
of the lack, historic lack, of sustainment," Mullen said.

The Pakistan army has launched the military offensive
on April 26 after Taliban fighters had advanced to within 100
kms from Islamabad.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates also expressed similar
views.

"I believe the actions of Pakistani government and the
Army in the last ten days or so, and particularly since
driving the Taliban out of Buner, have been reassuring that
the government does understand the nature of the threat to it
and is prepared to take action to deal with that threat," he
said.

"So I actually think if you look at that two-week time
frame, which is probably too short a time to consider, but I
think the events of recent days are encouraging," Gates told
US Senators when asked about the reported statement of General
David Petraeus that the next two weeks are very crucial for
Pakistan.

Petraeus had reportedly said this to lawmakers about a
fortnight ago. PTI LKJ
AM