Pakistan plans attacks on Qaeda and Taliban

The International Herald Tribune ^ | Monday, February 23, 2004 | David Rohde and Carlotta Gall NYT

[quantim]

Pakistan is preparing to mount a major military offensive against Taliban and Al Qaeda forces along its border with Afghanistan in the next several weeks, Pakistani government officials said Sunday.

The operation is expected to be the first act of a violent, and potentially pivotal, spring along the mountainous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In recent weeks, signs have emerged that American and Pakistani forces, as well as Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters, are all preparing to mount their own separate "spring offensives" in the area.

American military officials expect Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters to try to disrupt national elections scheduled for June in Afghanistan. At the same time, U.S. and Pakistani forces are expected to step up their efforts to gain firm control of the border area and try to capture the fugitive Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Pakistani officials denied recent press reports that the locations of bin Laden, or his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, had been narrowed down to an area of several dozen square miles. Instead, they say the offensive is part of a calculated, step-by-step process to drive Qaeda members over the border where American forces will be waiting for them.

"There has certainly been pressure building up on Al Qaeda and their tribal supporters," said a senior Pakistani official. "They are on the run, and we will not let this momentum peter out."

Mohammed Azam Khan, the top Pakistani government official in the South Waziristan tribal agency, said on Sunday that he was requesting triple the number of Pakistani troops in the area - to 12,000 from 4,000. Hundreds of Al Qaeda members, including Chechens and Uzbek fighters, are believed to be hiding with their families in the area, and launching cross-border attacks on American forces in Afghanistan.

"We are waiting for the troops to come," Khan said in a telephone interview. "Ours is a large area that requires a large number of troops."

Last week, the commander of American forces in Afghanistan, Lieutenant General David Barno, said in a briefing with Pentagon reporters that U.S. and Pakistani forces were working together to create a strategy in which they will function as a "hammer and anvil" that traps Taliban and Qaeda forces along the border.

In an interview on Saturday, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Beevers, the director of public affairs for coalition forces in Afghanistan, said that the emphasis was now on small groups of soldiers deploying in villages for days at a time.

By distributing aid and being more of a permanent presence, American forces hope to gain the trust of Afghans and collect better intelligence. In the past, large groups of American forces have carried out vast offensives and sweeps.

"What we are doing is much more of a counterinsurgency operation," Beevers said. "We are using small units much more than big-scale offensive operations."

Mohammed Khan contributed reporting from Peshawar, Pakistan.

[quantim]

It would be nice to cage this beast a couple of days before the democratic convention this summer.

[stylin19a]

Pakistan has already said the US cannot cross the border. I wonder what happens if OBL is being chased by the US into Pakistan...do we stop ?

[WFTR]

I received an e-mail spreading the rumor that they were certain that they had bin Laden trapped. I don't know whether to believe it, but it would be a piece of very good news.

Well, four and a half
Bill

[Old Sarge]

I just got a trollFreepmail about OBL getting caught by using a sex slave smuggled into the camp!

BAHAAHAAA!!! Account got Zotted right after I looked at it...

[ClintonBeGone]

I'll believe this headline when I see it (the attack).

[Cicero]

I think Bush must have made Musharref another offer he couldn't refuse: either go in and clean up the northern territories, or we will do it. Oddly enough, I think it will offend the Islamists less if Musharref does it. They'd rather be killed by a Muslim than by infidels.

He will, of course, only do the job part way. But this is still excellent news.

[fiftymegaton]

--He will, of course, only do the job part way. --

Meaning that if these wahabbist, al-qaeda sympathizers come upon Bin Laden during their excursion they will probably let him go.

[b4its2late]

It would also be equally nice if the press didn't announce it.......

[TexasCajun]

Pakistan has already said the US cannot cross the border. I wonder what happens if OBL is being chased by the US into Pakistan...do we stop ?

I hope we are setting up Pakistan to let them capture OBL so as to send a local message to terrorist. ...or maybe we'll do the dirty work and give the credit to Pakistan?

[quantim]

I think Bush must have made Musharref another offer he couldn't refuse: either go in and clean up the northern territories, or we will do it.

You're exactly right, at least until it proves otherwise.  Musharraf also realizes that AQ has come close to killing him lately and he needs to take action to preserve his own life.  The additional fact that Rummy/Bush/Rice etc. have said nothing on the subject suggests to me that they have the goods on OBL.  They are not going to let him get away like Clinton did.

[TexasCajun]

The next question is how loud will the Democrats cry when OBL is captured?

[awakened]

"Meaning that if these wahabbist, al-qaeda sympathizers come upon Bin Laden during their excursion they will probably let him go."

I think we've reached a point where no one can afford to let bin Laden go. It's too bad Clinton did.

[TexasCajun]

How will the Democratic Presidential nominee look when every military system used in Afghanistan,Iraq and the border of Pakistan to fight terrorism and capture the murderer of 911 look when every military system used was voted against by their nominee?

[fiftymegaton]

If the Pakistanis could let Bin Laden slip away(or if they could move him) without anyone finding out they did so(mainly the US) I don't think they would even have a second thought about it after they let him loose. We better have our own people in the mix so this is not a possibility.

[txhurl]

Oh, they'll moan, cry, gnash teeth and call us barbarians.

Sept. 11 never happened, and if it did, we deserved it, according to the left.

[TexasCajun]

Oh, they'll moan, cry, gnash teeth and call us barbarians.
Sept. 11 never happened, and if it did, we deserved it, according to the left.

Bush should say, "I'm sorry, but life goes on even if it's not on the democratic time line!"

This is going to happen, how & when will be fun to watch now that we have the SOB cornered! ..we're just working out the political strategy. I bet our guys can't sleep with anticipation!

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

IMO Pakistan is setting up a barrier to catch al-queda fleeing from the west. They have been in the process of contacting the local chieftons to warn them not to provide sanctuary. This is "the anvil". The reason the al-queda will be fleeing is because US forces will be attacking from Afghanistan. This is "the hammer". The US forces will be (quietly) permitted to enter Pakistani terroritory for this purpose. The target: OBL, his Sr. advisors, and several hundred protectors. Tic...tic...tic.

[zarf]

Rest assured that US troops are in Pakistan working in small units....with Pakastani knowledge.

[CommandoFrank]

Nope... nor did we stop at the Cambodian border back in the Vietnam war. Guess who was in Cambodia while the Pentagon was denying crossing the border...

PS - I ddn't see Kerry anywhere...

[dirtbiker]

wonder what happens if OBL is being chased by the US into Pakistan...do we stop ?

HELL NO!!!!!!