news…..the real story!

Fourth, the army has had the experience of operating in Waziristan since 2002, whereas it was a complete stranger to the Malakand region.
Fifth, the winters in the Mehsud area of South Waziristan are not as harsh as in some other areas and have not prevented the army from conducting operations there in the recent past.
Given these factors, security analysts believe there may be two main reasons why the army has been putting off action against this destructive ground-zero of al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan.
Any action against the Baitullah Mehsud group in South Waziristan could draw in to the conflict militant groups based in the Wazir tribal areas of South and North Waziristan.
These groups are part of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Haqqani network, and have peace agreements with the army.
They have so far concentrated exclusively on fighting inside Afghanistan, and many analysts consider their activities central to the army’s perceived security interests in South Asia.
Any hostilities with them may harm these interests, analysts say.
Another reason may well have been the US government’s so-called Kerry-Lugar bill which promises $1.5bn (£0.95bn) in annual aid to Pakistan for the next five years.
The bill offers an unprecedented chance to the country’s civilian government to expand its clout over the state institutions at the cost of the military, which has until now monopolised political decision-making.
Last week, the army publicly denounced the bill at a time when the government was defending it, thereby sparking a rift in the political establishment.
But the dizzying pace at which the militants have struck at targets across the country during the last couple of weeks has increased public pressure on the army to deal with its erstwhile proteges.