Posted on 06/03/2005 8:37:32 PM PDT by Saberwielder
Al Qaeda Clashes Caught on Tape
New Training Camps Seen in Pakistan
By BRIAN ROSS and JILL RACKMILL
Jun. 3, 2005 - Never-before-seen propaganda videos obtained by ABC News showcase the intensely violent fighting and unique difficulties that surround the hunt for Osama bin Laden in the remote tribal areas of northwest Pakistan.
It is a view from al Qaeda's side of the battle. The videotapes were said to be made last year, when the Pakistani army undertook a major offensive into south Waziristan, a mountainous region bordering Afghanistan where the fiercely independent Waziri tribe reside and where bin Laden is believed to be in hiding.
At the time, the Pakistanis declared the campaign in Waziristan a major victory against terrorists.
"A den of miscreants has been busted," said Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, Pakistan's chief military spokesman. "The facilities for terrorist training and planning have been completely dismantled. Those who slipped away are on the run and dispersed."
But in at least four cases, the video shows Pakistani army troops were driven into ambushes. One scene shows the insurgents tracking a Pakistani convoy from the mountains above before opening fire. Another scene focuses on the fiery aftermath of an attack on an army convoy.
And footage shows al Qaeda seems to have set up new training camps inside Pakistan, similar to the ones that were dismantled in Afghanistan. The tapes show a new generation of militants, some no older than 10 or 12, carrying automatic weapons.
"These are infidels and they deserve to be killed," one of the young fighters says to the camera.
An Ominous Sign
Gary Schroen, former CIA station chief in Pakistan, saw the footage as an ominous sign in the hunt for bin Laden.
"There's always the question of why we don't have bin Laden. You can see now the kind of resistance that the Pakistanis face and the kind of resistance the U.S. military faces on the Afghan side of the border," he said. "It is propaganda, but the core message for us here in America is it's going to be very, very tough to convince the Pakistanis to go after bin Laden."
The Pakistani soldiers were shown leaving behind their dead and abandoning trucks full of arms and ammunition, which were then collected by the militants.
Those weapons added to an already impressive arsenal, according to the tapes. In one scene, the fighters can be seen using what appears to be a Russian multiple rocket launcher against the Pakistani troops.
The well-armed fighters move with ease through the rugged terrain, using donkey and mules to move the weapons.
"There's some dedicated opposition there, dedicated support to bin Laden," Shroen said. "It's a very, very tough battle to be fought."
Ping!
By the same token ABC is looking at this through the prism of failure for the coalition (cheering about it in the process) and a victory for the terrorists by gleefully reporting about it.
Islam is the problem, not inept/inefficient/whatever Pakistani troops.
Now ABC airing enemy propaganda
But the key for us is to not let the Paks ease up on the pedal. They need to be constantly pushed to deliver on the GWOT.
Still amazing what B-52's can do...
In the end, it's mostly a matter of will. For the United States that is.
"And footage shows al Qaeda seems to have set up new training camps inside Pakistan, similar to the ones that were dismantled in Afghanistan. The tapes show a new generation of militants, some no older than 10 or 12, carrying automatic weapons."
Umm, here's an idea. How about we annihilate these camps each time we detect one. We generally knew where they were in Afghanistan for years, and I suspect we pretty much know where these camps are in Pakistan too. The terrorists are funneling across the border into Afghanistan and elsewhere, and our failure to do much about it is disasterous.
All of these Islamic fanatics are our enemies in the war on terror, so we should get about the business of killing them (and anyone who supports them) wherever we can find them.
If the peoples in the untamed lands of Pakistan want to support terrorists and plan attacks against Americans, we should simply kill all of those people. That's the way war is fought - at least it used to be back in the day when war resulted in a victory for one side or the other rather than these tense stalemates we see nowadays.
Longbow
Of course. They're using the Vietnam War template. The only time the media has been FOR war was when Clinton was foolishly involved in Kosovo.
Did Michael Moore direct the video?
I think he was the producer.
Excellent question.
Oh for god's sake who cares about this stuff, were any Korans injusred?!?!?!?!!!?!?!?!? The ACLU needs to know!!!!
I believe he played the role of the fat terrorist with the mountain goat.
Pakistan and Saudi are the two cauldrons of jihadi terrorism and insanity.
Eventually, we'll have to deal seriously with both countries.
That is the only solution.
Ping
Any link to the videos? Can only say that Musharaff is balancing on a razor. He puts himself at high risk for any help he gives us.
Paki Al qeade training bases ping ...
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