New Delhi: The US is debunking Pakistan's claims of success in the war against the Taliban in Swat Valley.
Senior US intelligence officials were quoted by the respected Long War Journal as saying that Pakistan's claims of 700 Taliban killed are wildly exaggerated. The web-based journal, which covers the global war on terror reported the officials as saying: "This is like a bad movie we have all seen before. The Pakistani military levels large areas, claims success and thinks we'll be conned into believing it if they pump up the Taliban body counts."
The US assessment is that the Taliban are holding firm in Swat and are now attacking military convoys and bases in Mohmand, South Waziristan, Malakand and Mardan. Maulana Fazlullah's base in Peochar remains intact despite an army commando assault over two days ago.
The US believes the Pakistani army lacks intelligence about Taliban deployment. It is also hesitant to fight them close up and prefers to wage a defensive war using long range artillery that is only killing the civil population.
Until now only one senior commander of the al-Qaida Shadow Army has been killed.
None of this is helping Islamabad's case in Congress, which is reluctant to approve more than $7 billion in military and economic assistance to Pakistan.
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