Easier terrain
But there have been counter-arguments that call the army’s declared reasons into question.
First, the terrain in the north-eastern parts of South Waziristan, which is envisaged to be the main theatre of war, is not as difficult as that in Malakand.
Thick forest cover and lots of water made nearly the entire Malakand region suitable for militants to create hideouts and to lie low there for longer periods.
But South Waziristan is an arid zone, with no forest and little water.
Second, the likely war zone in South Waziristan is sparsely populated, and most of the population has already left the area, effectively cutting the possibility of civilian casualties.
Third, the troops deployed in the South Waziristan region are more than twice the numbers that conducted the Malakand operation, even though the area of the combat zone is smaller
The militants also suffered setbacks. Former Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a suspected US drone strike in August.
His death led some security analysts to suggest that there was now no need for a full-blown operation, and that small-scale, localised action would take care of the menace.
But despite army rhetoric about why a timeframe could not be put on any South Waziristan assault, the authorities have decided that now is the time to attack the militants in their stronghold.
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