Pak, US considering joint counterterrorism campaigns

WASHINGTON: Pakistani and US officials are considering joint counterterrorism campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan, claimed American newspaper citing officials familiar with the proposals.

According to the Wall Street Journal newspaper, the proposed campaigns would target the Haqqani network.

The potential US-Pakistani plans were discussed in meetings in Washington this week involving the new ISI chief and top officials of the CIA, State Department and Pentagon, as well as top lawmakers, the newspaper quoted officials as saying.

US and Pakistani officials both described this week's meetings as productive and indicative of a higher level of trust than in previous meetings.

In meetings with Petraeus and other officials, Lt. Gen. Zaheer ul Islam explained that US concessions on drones and the Taliban sites in Afghanistan would give Islamabad room to build domestic support for counterterrorism work with the US, the officials told the American newspaper.

The US would also work with Pakistan to control the Afghan side of the border, so militants driven out couldn't escape into the Afghan border region, the officials said. The Pakistanis have named the planned offensive, in North Waziristan, Operation Tight Screw, it added.

During the meetings, Pakistani officials asked the US to target about a half-dozen Pakistani Taliban operatives, based in the Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan, who Pakistan says have carried out dozens of attacks across the border, killing Pakistani soldiers, according to officials briefed on the meetings. (Monitoring Desk)