Pakistan to come under U.S. pressure on militant hub

Pakistan will come under increasing U.S. weight to attack a militant stranglehold in the northwest, said an official, but with the army combating in several areas and capital stretched, Pakistan's own interests must come first.

United States is convinced that the Pakistani Taliban militant allied with al-Qaida was behind the bombing challenge in New York's Times Square on May 1, said U.S. officials Sunday.

Ally Pakistan cooperate with U.S. investigators trying to settle on the nature of confrontational links to the supposed bomber, a Pakistan-born naturalize American who is under arrest in the United States.

But U.S. pressure on Pakistani action against militants in the main hub left to the lawless Afghan border is bound to mount.

"Pressure from the U.S. to launch operation in North Waziristan has been there, and after the Times Square event, the pressures increase," said a senior Pakistani intelligence officer who declined to be known.

The New York bomb plot suspects, Faisal Shahzad, 30, was arrested Monday last week, two days after authorities say he parked a crude car bomb in Times Square. Authorities say he has cooperated in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney Eric Holder and other U.S. officials said Sunday that the Pakistani Taliban was involved.

Holder said the U.S. administration was pleased with Pakistani collaboration in the investigation, adding there was no evidence the Pakistani management knew about the action.

Al-Qaida-affiliated Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is an alliance of faction that has killed hundreds of people in many bomb attack against the state.

In recent years, the armed forces mounted attacks against their strongholds in the northwest, largely clearing several areas, including their stronghold in South Waziristan.

But North Waziristan has not been processed, but the TTP members are supposed to have sought refuge with allied Afghan faction based there, that it is to fight the Pakistani state.

The army says it will make sure the areas it has cleared before the attack there. But analysts said Pakistan looks Afghan factions in North Waziristan as a tool for their long-term goals in Afghanistan, which Pakistan wants to see a friendly government and the influence of old rival India, is minimized.

"Basically, what the U.S. wants is we go into North Waziristan, first and leading, that means targeting Haqqani, Gul Bahadur network," the Pakistani cleverness official said, referring to the two main Afghan Taliban groups there.

But we have our own confines. We are in South Waziristan and yes, some of the militant fled to Orakzai and some to North Waziristan, and we follow them. Meanwhile, our capacity is limited, and we cannot open all fronts together. It would be against our national wellbeing. ”

"We say that we do not want to target the militants there, but we must do it within our capacity and resources. America will continue to put pressure and we will try to take the force and act as good as we can while preserve our interests.

American officials have the last few days have been praises Pakistan action against militants, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised eyebrows over the weekend when she told the CBS network, Pakistan would face "serious consequences" if a winning attack in the United States was traced to Pakistan.

Retired Pakistani intelligence officer Asad Munir said the U.S. debt will be counterproductive.

"If they blame Pakistan, I do not think they will win this war," he said. "They (Pakistani troops) will go to North Waziristan, but it will take time. Pakistan is pressed, it will be disastrous. “

"De''gøre mere''mantra will bring remind the military that this happens in spite of their people are killed every day, and finally foot military will be disheartened," he said.