Posted on 02/11/2006 10:26:32 AM PST by SevenMinusOne
Movement controls areas out of Pakistani government's reach -
February 9, 2006
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Four years after the United States led the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, a new Taliban movement has taken control in a swath of neighboring Pakistan.
Taliban militants control much of Waziristan, a rocky, mountainous area twice the size of Long Island along the Pakistani border. Despite a heavy presence of Pakistani troops, Waziristan has become the largest and most protected sanctuary for Islamic militant guerrillas in the Afghan-Pakistani theater of the "global war on terror."
U.S. military officers and Afghan officials in three neighboring provinces of Afghanistan say the infiltration of guerrillas from Waziristan has continued unabated and is the primary engine of the continued Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. Waziristan "is very important to the Taliban" as a base of operations in the Afghan-Pakistani theater, said Mike Scheuer, a former top analyst at the CIA.
And it is likely to stay that way for years, analysts say. "The strength of the militants in Waziristan has built up over a generation,"
While Waziristan's militants use the label "Taliban" and include figures from the former Afghan regime, their exact relationship with the Afghan movement is unclear. Some have voiced fealty to the Afghan Taliban chief, Mullah Omar, but observers such as ex-CIA officer Milt Bearden say it is unclear whether he directs them.
Beginning in late 2003, Pakistan sent an estimated 70,000 troops into its Afghan borderlands, especially Waziristan, in a campaign against Islamic militant fighters. The result, by all accounts except that of Pakistan's government, has been disastrous.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Not sure what exactly your buddy is doing or for which contractor he is working for (likely assuming he is working for one of the various private contractors there....forgive me if that is a wrong assumption).
But I do not find his observations to be that accurate. Certainly not in terms of the progress our our U.S. soldiers have seen (help provide) in Stan over the past 18 months.
But also not in terms of those working as contractors (as I know quite a few working in Stan) I have a close family member who just left on Saturday (as a matter of fact) back to Stan after spending 18 days back here in the States.
And from his "contractor" perspective he could only say how much better things have looked throughout Stan in the past 12 months - In some ways "night and day" he suggested just in the past 6-12 months alone - (he works both Kandahar and Kabul primarily).
Regards,
Interesting read (agreed) parts I can agree with...other parts I don't....at least in terms of some of the suggestions being inferred.
17. In the long-term, the US will find its difficulties in Afghanistan are even more intractable than its difficulties in Iraq. It will not be able to prevail over the Afghan jihadis unless and until it is able to put a stop to Pakistan's tacit complicity.
Here is the "action line" of the whole article though...which isn't surprising considering the source....nor the reality of the situation in some regard.
I respect the Indian's perspective, but take much of what they say with a a whole shaker of salt.
Once Iran's Gov't flips (but whatever means that happens by) this new highway will go a long way toward moving Stan into the 21st Century.
Additionally Indian security units in Stan is completely understandable for their own personnel - And welcomed -
But the fact that his wife couldn't go out of the house for the last six months is real. Both of them had considerably more freedom of movement in 04 than in 05. That's a fact.
What it all means - who knows?
From what I could personally observe, things got better at KAF and RC South SEP 04 - DEC 05.
Of course not - And so goes their continuing soap opera with one another -
The Indian commandos are welcomed by us (I meant). Lessens the need slightly for us to oversee some of the security concerns for these workers -
With that said, there is a tremendous amount of "PR Hype" within this article as well -
Taking out the leadership within North Waziristan is key - I have said for quite some time now that we (U.S.) have to be more aggressive within the Pak border region -
We must - And we could (would be) very effective if our shooters were unleashed in that region - I have a tremendous amount of respect for the terrain and history of that region of the world (and some of the warrior thugs within it).....with that said...we'd kick their as$ if unleashed on them -
Somebody vectored that Hellfire in to Damadola. I'm hoping we have Pashtun-speaking operators who can survive in the FATA and take out some more baddies.
Then they will have to move somewhere else, and while they are doing that they will be very vulnerable.
Without a doubt this is the case - We have small Teams working the area - Though to be more effective in an absolute sense....or to be more effective in a thorough sense by conducting simple area hex operations we'd need to put in more Teams (with obvious back up being need from loyal Pak forces).
More operations in the manner of what happened in Damadola need to occur. This would have a definite (and positive for our side) impact.
MIRAMSHAH, Feb 15: Security forces arrested two Uzbek militants at the Khajuri checkpost near Mirali in North Waziristan Agency on Tuesday, officials said.
The militants were identified as Mohammad Aziz and Mahmood, believed to be affiliated with Qari Yaldashev’s Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, they said.
An official said paramilitary troops detained the militants from a passenger coach at Khajuri checkpost. Later, they were shifted to the paramilitary camp in Mirali for interrogations.
This is without question - However that is entirely different then the suggestion from many that this means Musharraff is also helping to support them - He isn't - (Is he doing enough to stop them....???....I think on the whole he is trying).
The time is coming where we're going to be allowed to hunt more openly in the Pak border region - When this happens those al Qeade / ex-Taliban and Fukhtoons are going to get the hell beat out of them once again (and they'll have to run further in Country to survive).
bump
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