US training Pak units: General

Pakistan8217;s chief military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, said there were no US military trainers at Chirat and that Barno had probably been referring to joint military exercises between the two countries.

8216;8216;8220;The Pakistan Army has been training with many countries of the world,8217;8217; Sultan said in a telephone interview. 8216;8216;We have also been conducting joint military training with the US Army many a time earlier. They benefit from each other8217;s experience. They learn from each other. That8217;s what has been happening, and nothing else.8217;8217;

The comments came as the Pakistani army is gearing up to go into what is considered one of the last redoubts of Al-Qaeda and foreign fighters, the tribal area of North Waziristan near the border with Afghanistan. Last year the Pakistani military moved against foreign militants in South Waziristan, killing some 300 fighters and losing about the same number of their own soldiers.