Posted on 09/16/2008 8:56:29 AM PDT by RobFromGa
Report: Top U.S. Military Officer in Pakistan on Unannounced Visit With Senior Leaders
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan —
A top U.S. military officer has flown to Pakistan for an unannounced visit with senior leaders amid Pakistani orders to fire on U.S. troops conducting cross-border raids from Afghanistan...
The Pakistan's military ordered its forces Tuesday to take the offensive if U.S. troops launch another air or ground raid across the Afghan border, an army spokesman said Tuesday...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The stated reason above is probably *not* why we’re there today.
Any ideas why?
Top US general due in Pak amid rift over cross-border raids
~~~~
Islamabad, Sep 16 (PTI) Against the backdrop of the rising tension between Pakistan and the US over frequent cross-border raids by coalition forces, a top American general is due here to discuss ways to handle the volatile situation in the militant-infested tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen is visiting Islamabad following Pakistan’s angry reaction to the recent missile strikes by American drones which killed scores of people, including women and children, in the restive northwestern region.
Mullen had warned earlier this month that the US forces would launch unilateral actions in the tribal region against the al-Qaeda-linked militants.
The security situation and war against terrorism would be discussed during Mullen’s visit beginning today, official sources said.
Soon after his arrival, Mullen would hold crucial talks with the leadership here, including Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. He is to discuss cooperation between Pakistan and United States in the war against terror, the sources said.
He would also meet Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, to discuss the security situation along the Pak-Afghan border.
It is learnt that Mullen would raise US concerns that Islamabad is not doing enough to stop militants operating in the tribal region.
Last month Mullen met Kayani secretly on board a US aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean and discussed efforts to curb the infiltration of militants from Pakistan.
Pakistan army had stated that the day-long conference of Admiral Mullen and General Kayani was a scheduled one.
This will be Mullen’s third visit to Pakistan this year. He last visited the country in July. PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/723B1BF4A66D11A4652574C6004FB8B3?OpenDocument
God bless and protect our awesome military.
So much for it being an “unannounced” trip/visit.
Update. Sec of Defense Gates is in Pakistan.
Send in Gen. Bucky Turdgison!!
Or Gen. Jack T. Ripper. :)
I wonder if Obama is calling the Paki’s and telling them to STALL and RUN OUT THE CLOCK on “Bush’s people”.
He might even tell them he’s planning to send over his Future Sec of State Jimmy Carter real soon to negotiate a surrender treaty (with cash bonuses!) on behalf of the Obama administration...
If Pakistan put as much emphasis on shooting at US forces as they do with Taliban, i think we will be ok.
I suspect the visit is more along the lines of “Now that we (the US) have been so stupid as to support the ouster of the one person who could mostly keep a lid on the various factions in the military, can we work with you now to try to undo the damage we have done and help whoever wants to get our political support to control everyone else?”
Notable that there are no posters that I have seen with local knowledge of the situation there (I would like to hear views from anyone who has this), but I suspect there are factions in the military which are now able to begin flexing their muscles. If ISI is factional, I see no reason why the military would not be.
Which they could do, but it would come at a very dear price. We have a lot of leverage with Pakistan, both carrot and stick. If they want to do things the hard way, we'll do things the hard way. Hopefully, none of that will be necessary, as the best outcome for all parties would be for them to turn a blind eye and to let this slide under the radar.
It is not a reasonable strategy to allow an enemy to strike you and then to receive safe haven across a nearby border.
If Pakistan permits it, then Pakistan is complicit in it.
Pakistan is nuclear. Will they really risk a nuclear confrontation if the US insists on ridding the north of Al-Qaeda?
One possibility is to totally monitor a border, but that isn’t likely given the terrain and the number of troops it would take.
Another possibility is to CLOSE the border and ANY border crossing is viewed as an act of war. That would be easier to handle: if it moves shoot it. We have the technology to pick up rabbits and squirrels as heat signatures. Picking out a human is pretty easy.
This is all window dressing to make it appear to the Arab Street that Pakistan is fighting off the great satan. Meanwhile, we are orchestrating all of this theater to make them and us look good in the long run, two very different tasks that have to take place simultaneously.
The US General could be informing the Pakistani "senior leaders" as to the status of Pakistani strategic forces. IOW's, "we know what you have, we know where it is". "If you alert those forces we will be forced to act in self-defense." The message would be "don't interfere with these border raids, and especially don't escalate."
Reminds me of Laos and Cambodia, one of the stupidest, most brain-dead periods of US military history in which the military was being told how to fight by politicians who were being told by the media.
If they attack, then they get attacked.
No free shots.
There was an article posted last week that said Musharrif was the problem. He wanted to keep al-Qaeda around to use against the Indians.
The new Pakistani government has invaded al-Qaeda’s strongholds and killed 100’s of them.
The survivors are fleeing into Afghanistan to be rounded up by our coalition forces.
No more asking Pakistan to take out the insurgents that cross border. Issue orders that if attacked by any force, Pakistan or insurgents, shoot to kill. Maybe the Pakies will get the message. Screw their nukes. No more playing games with these turban heads. Cut off aid.
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