USZ delayed information about IED factories to embarrass Pakistan: General Rizwan

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) in South Waziristan, Major General Rizwan Akhter on Thursday blamed the USZ for attempting to embarrass Pakistan by delaying information about explosives factories located in the agency. Talking to media persons here in Wana,Major General Rizwan Akhter said that a third force was creating hurdles in Pak-Afghan ties.He also spoke on the situation in South Waziristan and stressed that priority is to win the hearts and minds of people as peace has been restored in most parts of the agency. To a question about the issue of foreigners in South Waziristan, he said that they were not present in most of the areas but could not confirm their complete elimination.

On June 14, then USZ Secretary of Defence Robert Gates said that the Obama administration was disappointed by the unexplained failure of raids on militant compounds in the tribal areas. Gates claimed that the CIA had shared information relating to IED factories being run by militants located in North and South Waziristan with Pakistan. However, when security forces raided the factories, the militants had disappeared. The Defence Secretary insisted that he did not know why the effort went awry.