Hints Of More Action In Pakistan

The Bush administration seems to be countering release of declassified portions of the NIE pointing to an extremist resurgence in the tribal areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan by hinting at more US backed military action to come by Musharraf. Still, the talk is probably a little less tough than many following the issue would like to see. There's no question that dealing with certain elements within the region will require military action. But Boucher is after all from the State Department and we know their fondness for carrots, as opposed to sticks.

Senior U.S. officials said Tuesday that the administration will back the military efforts of Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to quell a resurgence of al-Qaida and Taliban activity in frontier provinces. But the U.S. will continue aid to the provinces' impoverished residents, the officials said.

Now having dealt with the mosque, it's pretty much crossing a line and there's no going back," Boucher said.

As part of that effort, Washington plans to spend $750 million on education, health and economic projects in the tribal areas over the next five years and is hoping to find an additional $300 million to $350 million in the coming year to help revamp Pakistan's beleagured 85,000-member Frontier Corps that patrols the border.

While a civilian "hearts and minds campaign" may offer the best long-term solution to combating extremists in the region, "some elements have to be dealt with militarily," Boucher said.

"We have to remember that some military action is necessary, and will probably have to be taken, that there are elements in these areas that are extremely violent and are out to kill government people, out to kill government leaders, and will not settle for a peaceful way forward," he said.

Of course the usual suspects including Richard Clark, are already attacking, calling released portions of the NIE "pure pablum."

Comments

[nowingker]

Musharraf is toast, his balancing two faced act is failing, I doubt he will outlast Bush by much, look for another mullah take over within the next few years, it will be another great victory to be attributed to George Bush, Pakistan will join the rest of the American hating Islamic states, the Taliban will be back full force and Al Quaeda will have an even bigger country at their disposal.

Ah the smell of victory.

I wonder why WingerLand has been so silent about the strange new intelligenc reports that say that after six years of fighting Al Quaeda, trillions of dollars, we've had zero net effect, Al Quaeda is as strong as it was before 9/11, the best 'spin' Bushie can put on it that it would have been worse [which I doubt], without all our actions.

We lefties have been telling you nutters for years that Bush played right into Bin Laden's hands and gave him what he wanted: actual evidence that the US was the aggressor and was at war with Islam, best recruiting tool he could have envisioned, the only thing better was maybe if we went in and started killing Palestinian woman and children on video...along the way we bogged ourselves down in an irrelevant conflict in Iraq and thus, gave Bin Laden and Al Queada a second gift, after the gift of validation and recruitment we gave them the gift of space and time...every dollar we spent in Iraq was a dollar not spent fighting Al Quaeda, every soldier in Iraq was not hunting down Al Quaeda, every intelligence officer focused on 'fixing' Iraq was not focused on Afganistan or the Taliban.

Retards, anyone who still stupports Bush or believes his invasion of Iraq was good/smart/appropriate/helpful to American interests.

[the original charles]

your ignorance is stunning

[joe]

Mr. nowingker,

You are right on some things, wrong on others. The Tribal Territories in NW Pakistan were already under the influence, and in some cases, control of a Taliban/AQ alliance. This happened following our victory in Afghanistan, as the remnants of the Taliban, along with many AQ elements present in Afghanistan crossed the border into Pakistan. Think Zawahiri here. This area has not been under the effective control of the central government in Islamabad, and a slow-motion jihad has been playing out here for several years, some of it prior to the events of 9/11, and actually go back to the fight with the Soviets. Then, as well as now, this area was used as a sanctuary for Taliban and AQ fighters.

I think it highly unlikely that you would have called for an invasion of Pakistan, particularly this area, as it is easily defended, and air power is not as big a factor when you have no allies on the ground. Anyone we put into this area would be recognized immediately, and would be ineffective in pinpointing air strikes. All we would get from these strikes would be civilian casualties, or so the international press would paint it, along with the AP and its allies the NYT and others on the Left. So don't say we could have attacked the NWFT without impunity.

In any event, we are going to have to fight these people in Afghanistan. They are on their way there, right now, as we speak. After humbling Musharraf over the past two days, you may be sure they are emboldened.

As for the Iraq question, it is difficult to say one way or the other. With the forces we had engaged in and around Iraq, it is very likely that all-out war was just a matter of when, not if. The war in Iraq is much more winable in my opinion than the one in Afghanistan, we just didn't send the numbers necessary to do that, and now we see the results. I hope we never make that mistake again.

[nowingker]

Is it, really?

Its a FACT that the newest intelligence reports say that Al Quaeda is as strong as it was before 9/11.

Its a FACT that Bush's PR stooge says that Al Quaeda would have been 'even' stronger without the war on terror.

ITs a FACT that a majority of muslims believe the US is at war with Islam.

It's a FACT that a majority of muslims do not believe the war on terror is about terrorists but about islam.

It's a FACT that resources that went to Iraq, by definition, could not go to Afganistan and this FACT is backed up by statements of our own intelligence and military people.

It's pretty clear that Musharref has been playing both sides against each other...protecting Al Quaeda on the one hand and 'helping' the US by giving over some Al Quaeda members on the other.

-----------------

I'm afraid its your ignorance that is stunning, not mine.

And I know, going into Iraq was a great strategy because we've got to fight them over there instead of over here, Saddam did have WMD he just got rid of them and besides Bill Clinton said he was a threat too!!! Al Quaeda was in Iraq all the time, practically running the country they were, its a terrible lie that (a) Al Quaeda wasn't in Iraq before and (b) the Al Queada in Iraq isn't Bin Laden's Al Quaeda...and we are winning in Iraq anyway and Bush will go down in history as a brillaint strategest, the only world leader who clearly saw the threat and went on to defeat it..roll drums, wave flags...hail the glorious fatherland, err homeland.

[the original charles]

"facts" as opinions, opinions as "facts"

it's a "politicalscientist" by golly

[Purple Avenger]

"Its a FACT that the newest intelligence reports say that Al Quaeda is as strong as it was before 9/11."

For this to be meaningful you need to define what metrics go into defining "strong" and if those same metrics were in use prior to 9/11.

I note this supporting information and background is conspicuously absent. One must presume this is an intentional omission.

[Shaykh Yurbouti]

The no-wings man is a shoveler of poo for my camels and goats. Pay him no mind, I will have to lock him in with hairy gay guy from Bridgeport for being such a bad slave.

As for the jihad, yes, we who follow the great and merciful Allah who gives us many virgins when we go boom boom boom back at your room know that evil infidels are warring upon us.

Of course, with lefty loopy people trying to get big Bush shaved, we may not have to make so many martyrs before Caliphate is ruler in Great Satan's city of D.C. They make good deal too, we not beat them with cactuses or throw them into pits of camel dung like other dhimmis when April 15th Jizzyah tax is due.

[Fred Beloit]

Your Caliphship, nowinky has no sense of humor when she is at work, and I understand that. After all this is her job. Perhaps you should catch her during her free time sewing hajibs for the downtrodden women held in serfdom over there.

[bloodrage bob]

hmmmm. noyyyinger DOES seem to have a bad attitude about all this haji-bashin' goin' on here.

you know what she needs to get her mind right? she needs a good old-fashioned moslem *clitorectomy*! as practiced for thousands of years by the urbane sophisticates she defends so passionately!

yes, as the men gather round her, holding her to the ground as the surgeon/barber prepares the ritual boxcutter (LOL) used in this procedure, i feel certain she'd be ever so grateful for their kind attention. remember: liberals tell us it's WRONG to be all judgemental & shit about non-western "cultures".

hey! maybe they could sell her into slavery afterwards! moslems ARE still big on that, right? think of the wonderful stories she could tell us!