Reuters
The war on terror is heating up. The Pakistani army is about to attack the Taliban and al Qaeda stronghold of South Waziristan in what may be Pakistan's most important battle since it fought with India in the mountains of Kashmir a decade ago. The operation will target Uzbek fighters holed up in the tribal belt since 2001, as well as the Taliban network of Baitullah Mehsud, killed by U.S. drones last August. The assault is expected to take six months, including a pause of several months for winter. However, the operation comes as Pakistan's military leadership said it had "serious concern" over the Kerry-Lugar bill, which triples U.S. non-military assistance to $1.5 billion, but puts a tight reign on the Pakistani army. The bill would force Pakistan to help dismantle illegal nuclear proliferation networks, and forbid the army from interfering with the judicial process. It also includes safeguards designed to prevent the military from diverting civilian aid.