Context
The Pakistanis know that Taliban chief Mullah Omar is in Pakistan and are paying no attention to America’s demands to hunt him down, two high-ranking US military officials told Congress Tuesday. The two officials, who will now supervise all US-led military operations in the Af-Pak region, said that Islamabad was also sheltering the Haqqani network and didn’t take action when informed about the weapon factories in Waziristan. “We believe he is” was Adm. William McRaven’s reply when asked if Mullah Omar was hiding in Pakistan. Lt-Gen John Allen said that Pakistan lacked the capability and desire to act against extremists. Their replies prompted members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to call for retaliation against Pakistan if the country continued protecting extremists.
