'US encouraged by Pak offensive against Taliban'
ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT — US Secretary of State Robert Gates said on Tuesday he was encouraged by a Pakistani offensive against Taliban militants but that it was too soon to judge the outcome.
"I'm obviously encouraged by the Pakistani operations," Gates told reporters aboard his aircraft en route to Tokyo.
"I think that the terrorist attacks that have been launched inside Pakistan in recent days made clear the need to begin to deal with this problem," he said.
"And so we obviously are very supporting of what the Pakistanis are doing. But it's very early yet," he said, adding the operation had "only been underway a few days."
Pakistan has vowed to target Taliban leaders and deal a killer blow to the Islamists as it pressed a major offensive.
The army said 78 militants had been killed in the operation which presents the military with its biggest challenge yet in the war against hardliners who have been blamed for a wave of attacks, killing 2,250 people in two years.
The United States has long pressed for military action against Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants, following a prolonged assault in the northwest Swat Valley - considered a less difficult fight than Waziristan.
"I'm obviously encouraged by the Pakistani operations," Gates told reporters aboard his aircraft en route to Tokyo.
"I think that the terrorist attacks that have been launched inside Pakistan in recent days made clear the need to begin to deal with this problem," he said.
"And so we obviously are very supporting of what the Pakistanis are doing. But it's very early yet," he said, adding the operation had "only been underway a few days."
Pakistan has vowed to target Taliban leaders and deal a killer blow to the Islamists as it pressed a major offensive.
The army said 78 militants had been killed in the operation which presents the military with its biggest challenge yet in the war against hardliners who have been blamed for a wave of attacks, killing 2,250 people in two years.
The United States has long pressed for military action against Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants, following a prolonged assault in the northwest Swat Valley - considered a less difficult fight than Waziristan.
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