WASHINGTON: The United States reiterated on Thursday its support to the military operation in North Waziristan while making it clear that it was an entirely Pakistan-led and executed offensive.

The US State Department’s spokesperson Marie Harf told a news briefing that the United States had “worked very closely with the Pakistanis” in dealing with the militants as the threat from the Taliban and other militant groups was not new.

“It doesn’t just threaten the Pakistanis; it threatens Afghanistan and India and has the United States in the past well,” she added.

Asked if Pakistan had sought US assistance in the current offensive, the US official said: “In terms of the current operations Pakistan is undertaking in North Waziristan, this is an entirely Pakistani-led and executed operation.”

The United States, however, has “long supported their efforts to extend the writ of government throughout their country and to increase internal stability and security,” she said. “But again, these current operations are an entire Pakistani-led effort.”

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2014