Commanders brief US envoy on operations

PESHAWAR (AFP) - Military commanders on Wednesday briefed a new US troubleshooter on the fight against militants in the border areas with Afghanistan during a visit to northwest Pakistan, officials said.
Richard Holbrooke has embarked on a major review of US policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan after being appointed by President Barack Obama, who is determined to turn around the war against extremism in South Asia.
"Holbrooke met the top military commander for the northwestern region, Lieutenant General Masood Aslam, and attended a briefing on security issues after arrival in Peshawar," a military official said, requesting anonymity.
The US envoy's visit coincided with a bombing in Peshawar, which killed an ANP MPA and wounded seven others, underscoring the violence blighting the region.
"Holbrooke also travelled to Mohmand tribal region by helicopter, where senior military officials briefed him about ongoing military operations in the area," the official said.
"The US diplomat also held a meeting with NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani and discussed cooperation between Pakistan and the United States in the war on terror," an official at the Governor's House told AFP.
"Ghani also briefed Holbrooke about the ongoing military operation and development projects that the government has launched in the tribal regions."
Holbrooke will hold talks in Pakistan until Thursday and is also scheduled to visit Afghanistan and India before reporting back to Washington.
"I am here to listen and learn," in "this critically important country," Holbrooke said in a statement after arriving in Islamabad on Monday.