U.S. Troops Hunting Militants Stray Into Pakistan

Reuters ^ | May 4, 2004

[yonif]

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - U.S. troops hunting Al Qaeda and Taliban militants crossed over from Afghanistan into Pakistan to search a Pashtun tribal village in a rare violation of the border, Pakistan's military spokesman said Tuesday. News of the incident, which took place on May 2, came a day after the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said foreign fighters, including members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda, were still launching attacks from Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt. The U.S. troops searched shops and a gasoline station in the village of Alwara Mandi, in North Waziristan, one of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal regions, during a night-time operation, according to Pakistan's Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan.

Eyewitnesses said 60 U.S. troops were involved.

The village lies just 200 yards inside Pakistan, and the soldiers returned to Afghan soil immediately they were told that they were on the wrong side of the border.

"The moment they were informed they went back. They stayed for no longer than 25 minutes," Sultan told Reuters.

He said such incursions were very rare, although U.S. helicopters had strayed into Pakistan airspace before.

U.S. military advisers are helping Pakistan hunt militants, but President Pervez Musharraf's government says no U.S. military action was allowed inside Pakistan. Monday, Lt. Gen. David Barno, commander of the U.S.-led NATO forces in Kabul, urged Pakistan to kill or capture Arab, Chechen, Uzbek and other foreign militants holed up near the border, and expressed concern over Pakistan's recent amnesty for several tribal militants.

There are frequent barbs from the U.S. and Afghan side that Pakistan is not doing enough, but two months ago more than 50 Pakistani troopers were killed in a battle with al Qaeda fighters and local tribesmen in neighboring South Waziristan.

The military subsequently took a softer approach to avoid alienating the fiercely independent tribesmen.

Pakistani officers draw parallels with U.S. tactics in Iraq, and say they did not want to make the same mistakes by risking escalating violence in their own tribal lands, where even young boys carry guns.

[Dog]

fyi.

[rbmillerjr]

"Pakistani officers draw parallels with U.S. tactics in Iraq, and say they did not want to make the same mistakes by risking escalating violence in their own tribal lands, where even young boys carry guns"

,,,more Fallujah backwash

[cmsgop]

It's like when my neighbors dog looks for a place to pee on my lawn and then I say go home.......

[swarthyguy]

1. Shouldn't be rare.

2. What Durand Line?

3. It's a good start.

4. They left too quick.

[Feiny]

What happened to Pakistan wanting to help? They are harboring terrorists...we know where these guys are....but they won't let us in to take them out....something smells.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Whoever you're looking for... they're in Pakistan.

[swarthyguy]

At least Omar Sheikh is in jail, uh, living in luxury.

[swarthyguy]

Actually, I think we copied Pakistani tactics from Waziristan a few weeks ago and applied them in Falluja.

[Dog]

There was a raid last night near the Afghan-Paki border....Jim Maceda of NBC News was at the base when the guys went hunting ....said it was based on a radio intercept.....it was a joint operation ....CIA/DIA/Special Ops...... he reported a mid-level biggie in AQ was nabbed along with 7 or 8 others.

I can't find an article....see if you can locate it.

[herkbird]

My neighbors across the street had a toy poodle. Every morning the husand would come out the front door with coffee cup in hand as the poodle raced too my front yard to crap and wiz on my front yard.

I was tempted so many times to step out my front door and waste that poodle with my 12 GA. shotgun. I could always just imagine the look on the guys face as his poodle exploded into thin air.

Me and my next door neighbor were the only ones in the neighborhood without a dog. Yet we couldn't take a step in our yards without getting crap all over are shoes.

I finally called the dog pound so often, they told me to quit calling as they promised daily patrols. Then the neighbors got all hot when they had to pay big dollars to get their dogs out of hock. I think they new it was me, but they never said anything to me about it. It never stopped the poodle from its morning jaunt to my front yard as the man of the house watched with coffee cup in hand, yeeeeaaaaaaarrrrggggggghhhh.

[BobS]

They should have pinched a loaf there:)

[Boot Hill]

"U.S. Troops Hunting Militants Stray Into Pakistan"

It would appear that the village of Alwara Mandi is no stranger to anti-terrorist operations...

This is a reapeat of a similar incident 6 months ago at the same village.   Source:   "US jet’s firing on Pak territory"

U.S. special forces have also arrested (American) al-Qa'ida suspects in Alwara Mandi.   Source:   "Arrested Americans said to be Al Qaeda suspects"

I have been unable to identify the precise location of Alwara Mandi other than, as the article indicates, as being a small village along the Afghani border in North Waziristan, in the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). However, that much information suggests that this village is in the proximity of the Khowst, Afghanistan area of anti-terrorist operations, most likely, SE of Khowst.

--Boot Hill

[Coop]

There was a raid last night near the Afghan-Paki border....Jim Maceda of NBC News was at the base when the guys went hunting ....said it was based on a radio intercept.....it was a joint operation ....CIA/DIA/Special Ops...... he reported a mid-level biggie in AQ was nabbed along with 7 or 8 others.

I'm digging through a backlog of pings. Please let me know if you've heard anything else about this. Cheers!

[Dog]

Here is what I found so far..... I'll keep digging.

Afghan security forces have captured seven suspected militants, two of them foreigners, during raids in northeast Afghanistan. "We have captured seven people over the past week in Kunar province," provincial governor Fazil Akber said. "Two of them are foreigners - they are probably members of al-Qaeda," he said. Akber, speaking by satellite phone from the provincial capital Asadabad, said one of the captives was believed to be a senior member of the ousted Taliban regime and he had confessed to carrying out several attacks against the US-led coalition troops in the area. He said three of the captured men had been handed over to coalition troops for questioning.

[swarthyguy]

Pakistan makes own terrorism decisions: FO

* Protests border incursion by US troops
* Says Gwadar incident will not affect China-Pakistan ties

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan on Wednesday rejected contentions by US Commander in Afghanistan Lt Gen David Barno to kill or capture foreign militants holed up near the Afghan border, saying Pakistan makes its own decisions.

Asked to comment at his Wednesday briefing on remarks made by the American commander that Pakistan should do more in the tribal areas, the spokesman said Pakistan was pursuing a clear strategy because the political track was as important as the operational track.

“We cannot fire on our citizens and that is why an innovative mechanism has been used to resolve the issue,” Mr Khan said, adding that the ultimate objective was to flush out terrorists. “We are making progress in that direction.”

He said Pakistan had also complained to the US over an incursion into its territory by US forces operating in Afghanistan, asking the US to conduct an inquiry and share its findings with Pakistan.

“The US maintains that it was a misunderstanding and as soon as its troops realised that they were on the Pakistani side, they withdrew immediately,” he said.

Military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan also condemned border incursion and said the intrusion involved “a few troops” who on Sunday entered some 300 meters into Pakistani territory in the Lwara Mandi area on the border with Afghanistan.

Ruffled feathers.

[Dog]

“We cannot fire on our citizens and that is why an innovative mechanism has been used to resolve the issue,” Mr Khan said, adding that the ultimate objective was to flush out terrorists. “We are making progress in that direction.”

Innovative my a$$.....they got there collective arses handed to them....by Al Qaeda.

[swarthyguy]

Made me laugh too.

IN Afgha in 2001, the US bombed and killed many Taliban in PakiArmy issued outfits. Too bad we didn't openly devastate that damn army and force the internal PakArmy jihadi/nonjihadi issue at that time.

[VeniVidiVici]

Shhhh! Be vewwy qwiet. It's militant season.

[Dog]

One of these days ......there double dealing is going to bite them in the butt.