U.S. troops mass near Pakistani border

The U.S. troops in Afghanistan massed along the border with Pakistan's insurgents-infested North Waziristan tribal region, raising concern among the tribesmen, a tribal elder in the region said on Monday. Tribal elder Malik Muhammad Mumtaz told Xinhua via phone from Miranshah, center of North Waziristan, that travelers from Afghanistan had informed the people they had seen movement of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan near the Pakistani border areas. Afghan nationals, who routinely travel to North Waziristan for trade, said they had also seen U.S. fighter aircraft flying over the border region, the elder said. Local TV channels also reported that the U.S. troops clamped curfew in some areas in Afghanistan to restrict movement of the people. Dunya TV reported that Pakistan security sources have confirmed movement of the U.S. troops. Geo television reported that American forces in the border Khost province have sealed border with Pakistan. TV channels said that the U.S. forces also moved heavy weapons to the Pakistani border region including artillery. Motives behind the U.S. troops movement were not clear but the report came amid tension between Pakistan and the U.S. over the Haqqani network, which the U.S. accuses of launching attacks from North Waziristan across the border into Afghanistan. The American troops movement has been reported as U.S. spy aircraft have stepped up strikes in Waziristan tribal region over the past few days. At least four U.S. strikes had been carried out in three days, killing nearly 10 people, including three Egyptians, who were thought to be linked to Haqqani network. U.S. officials say that members of the Haqqani network operate from North Waziristan tribal region and plan cross-border attacks there into Afghanistan. The U.S. is asking Pakistan to act against the Haqqani network, blamed for the last month attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul, which had killed 10 Afghan security men. The group was also accused of the September 11 huge truck bomb attack on the U.S. military base in Afghanistan's Maidan Wardak province, injuring nearly 70 U.S. troops. U.S. reported has reported that the Obama administration has decided to go all-out against the Haqqani network. "The Obama administration has launched the opening salvos of a new, more aggressive approach towards an Afghan insurgent group it asserts is supported by Pakistan's government," the Washington Post reported while quoting senior U.S. administration officials. "The decision to strike Miranshah, center of North Waziristan, was made at a National Security Council meeting chaired by President Obama two weeks ago and was intended to 'send a signal' that the United States would no longer tolerate a safe haven for the most lethal enemy of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, or Pakistan' s backing for it," the paper quoted one of several US officials who spoke about internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity. The strikes were made possible by focusing intelligence collection to "allow us to pursue certain priorities," the official said. Senior Haqqani figure Janbaz Zadran was selected along with other targets to "demonstrate how seriously we take the Miranshah" threat, he elaborated. "Military options debated at the September 29 meeting were set aside for now," officials said, including the possibility of a ground operation against Haqqani leaders similar to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May. Although the administration has left the raid option on the table, the potential negatives of such an operation -- including the possible collapse of Pakistan's military leadership and civilian government -- are seen as far outweighing its benefits. The report quotes officials as saying that Obama had gradually lost faith in Pakistan and its weak civilian leadership. But the core goal of their efforts, the president reminded his team, was the elimination of "Pakistan-based al Qaida". It was important, he warned them, that "nobody takes their eye off the ball."