Send 'Reapers' To Pakistan

War On Terror: By killing government troops, tribal militants sheltering al-Qaida in Pakistan's badlands have torn up what was left of their bogus peace treaty. They don't deserve another break.

Militants over the weekend unleashed several suicide-bomb attacks on Pakistani troops, killing nearly 100. They're on the offensive, and we still don't seem to have a plan other than to continue outsourcing the fight to Pakistan's beleaguered army.

National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley conceded that Islamabad's 10-month-old peace deal -- which withdrew troops from the border region and freed hundreds of terrorists -- provided al-Qaida with a safe haven in which to train recruits and plot attacks.

We've repeatedly warned that the deal -- which was secretly brokered by our "ally," Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf -- would backfire. Now it's official. "It has not worked the way he wanted," Hadley said. "It has not worked the way we wanted."

That's putting it mildly. In fact, it worked only to buy Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaida leadership more time to regroup and retarget America. As a result, homeland security officials are in full panic mode, sensing something spectacular in the works.

A new intelligence report warns al-Qaida is freely recruiting and training terrorists in Pakistan to attack the U.S., and may have already exported operatives to hit us. In the past week, al-Qaida's media wing in Pakistan has released messages from both bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri. The CIA and FBI are reviewing the tapes for coded messages for sleeper cells.

Don't worry, Hadley says, Musharraf is back on the case. "He's doing more," he said. "We are urging him to do more, and we're providing our full support to what he's contemplating." Huh? It makes no sense to give him another shot. This isn't the first time he's failed to drive al-Qaida out of the northwestern tribal areas.

After we pressured him to send troops there, finally, in 2003, Musharraf pulled them out, bloodied, just a year later. He said he got the tribal leaders' word to police their villages and block al-Qaida and the Taliban from using the area as a base. But they increased cross-border attacks on our troops in Afghanistan.

Last year's peace deal and withdrawal have emboldened them. Yet Musharraf still bans U.S. foot patrols in the region, and CIA officers can't conduct operations without Pakistani escorts.

Curiously, Bush has lost no confidence in Musharraf. Just last week, he gave him another ringing endorsement, suspending disbelief about the poor results on the ground.

"Musharraf is a strong ally in the war against these extremists. I like him and I appreciate him," Bush said. "He's been a valuable ally in rejecting extremists."

Congress' ideas for dealing with Pakistan aren't much better. It just authorized the State Department to double the bounty on bin Laden's head to $50 million. Apparently the local goat herders didn't appreciate the value of $25 million: After five years, there have been no takers; what makes anyone think they'll give up bin Laden now?

What ever happened to going "on the offensive" against the terrorists? Why are we sitting back and outsourcing this critical part of the war to a half-hearted Muslim ally, while biting our nails back home, waiting to be attacked again?

If al-Qaida central in Pakistan is planning a spectacular attack inside the U.S., what better way to -- unilaterally and preemptively -- disrupt it than to take out its training camps and brain trust?

Now the Pentagon has a more lethal unmanned aerial vehicle at its disposal, one it's planning to deploy to Iraq. Unlike the "Predator" drone, the new "Reaper" can fire both Hellfire missiles and drop 500-pound bombs -- enough to take out al-Qaida camps in tribal Pakistan.

We agree with analyst Bill Kristol that we should attack the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan now without reading Musharraf into the intelligence plans for the operation. That would provide him plausible deniability when confronted by the Islamic fanatics ahead of his next election.

If al-Qaida in Pakistan is sending suicide squads here, we should not hesitate to send "Reapers" there.

MQ-9 Reaper

Predator-B Hunter-Killer UAV

General Atomics / USA

http://www.defense-update.com/

Predator B currently in final development and testing, will overcome most of the difficulties encountered with the Predator. With an operational ceiling of 50,000ft, and higher cruising speed, this UAV will be able to cover a larger area, under all weather conditions. The aircraft is powered by a single Honeywell TP331-10 engine, producing 950 shp, provides a maximum airspeed of 260 kts and a cruise speed for maximum endurance of 150-170 kts.

The Air Force so far has seven of the combat drones in the US Air Force inventory. In 2009, the service is scheduled to decide whether it wants a full production run. On September 27, 2006 The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom of two MQ-9 weaponized Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The configuration will be similar to that of the USAF operated MQ-9 Reaper, including a Ground Control Station, two Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems, one Mobile Ground Control Station, two Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar (airborne), Ku-Band Communications link etc. No weapons have been included in this request, yet the Reaper is cleared to carry commonly used weapons including Hellfire missiles and laser guided bombs.

Capable of carrying maximum internal payload of 800 lbs, it will carry more advanced sensors at weight almost twice as the MQ-1. Furthermore, The Reaper can carry much more external stores, up to 3,000 pounds total – 1,500 on each of its two inboard weapons stations, or 500-600 lb. on the two middle stations and 150-200 lbs. on the outboard stations. In total, the aircraft can carry up to 14 Hellfire missiles, compared with two carried on the Predator. The Reaper can stay airborne for up to 14 hours fully loaded.

Trading off some of the missiles, Predator B can carry laser guided bombs, such as the GBU-12. MQ-9 is equipped with both Lynx II SAR and the MTS-B 20" gimbal, an improved, extended range version of the MQ-9's EO payload. The availability of high performance sensors and large capacity of precision guided weapons enable the new Predator to operate as an efficient "Hunter-Killer" platform, seeking and engaging targets at high probability of success.

Why are we sitting back and outsourcing this critical part of the war to a half-hearted Muslim ally, while biting our nails back home, waiting to be attacked again?

If al-Qaida central in Pakistan is planning a spectacular attack inside the U.S., what better way to — unilaterally and preemptively — disrupt it than to take out its training camps and brain trust?

Now the Pentagon has a more lethal unmanned aerial vehicle at its disposal, one it’s planning to deploy to Iraq. Unlike the “Predator” drone, the new “Reaper” can fire both Hellfire missiles and drop 500-pound bombs — enough to take out al-Qaida camps in tribal Pakistan.

If al-Qaida in Pakistan is sending suicide squads here, we should not hesitate to send “Reapers” there.

Waziristan is the next front in the War on Terror, and it has been since Tora Tora.

Anything we tell Musharraf about our plans makes it way into the ISI and trickles down to those animals in the tribal regions.

Turn it into Lake Bush.

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