Pakistan signs the Bajaur Accord (with terrorists)

Pakistan signs its third “peace deal” with the Taliban in the tribal agencies

The much anticipated Bajaur Accord – a peace agreement purportedly with the local tribal leaders of the Mamoond tribe and the government - has been signed in Pakistan's lawless tribal agency. The details of the agreement are not yet available, however the Daily Times has described it as “a step towards a North Waziristan-like peace accord. Bajaur Agency.” Pakistan conveniently finished negotiations as international attention is on the crisis over the removal of Pakistan's chief justice

"Despite Congressional threats to cutoff aid to Pakistan for their earlier peace deal with terrorists, Bush admin has promised $750m more to Pakistan."

The hell of this stuff is that this and the overall WOT activities distract from what is happening quietly and in increments relating to our relationship as a sovereign nation with Messico and central/south American countries....

Pakistan should have been give an ultimatum to give up Bin Laden and the Taliban before the war in Iraq.

They don't control the border regions. It is that simple. These regions of Pakistan have been autonomous from any Gov't for centuries....

Moving on Iraq like we did (when we did) was the correct course of action....The complexities of the Pak border regions where going to remain regardless....

Learning to deal with those complexities was going to be a timely process.....a process we are currently weaving our way through....

Bottom line is, it is a sh*t part of the world and an even sh*tter area to operate in or to bring progress to....

Do we need the Pak Gov't to do more? Yes (where they can). But cutting the funding they need to even be adequate at the jobs we need them to do....would serve no benefit to us (in the big picture).

The situation sucks. Plain and simple. Thought the concept of saying to hell with it....come hell or high-water we're coming in to drag UBL and Zawahiri out is a mindset at times I could really agree with....(though even that doesn't mean we'd catch the SOB in any short time period). Understand Zarqawi survived in Iraq over 3 years while we had a 140,000 + U.S. soldiers on the ground there (and the support of the majority of the people).

We wouldn't have the support of 5% of the people in these border regions of Pak...

Musharraf's headache for the US
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - Little more than a year ago, policymakers in Washington began to explore ways to establish a more democratic, civilian system in Pakistan. This was despite President General Pervez Musharraf's firm grip on the affairs of state and despite his serving Washington's interests as an ally in the "war on terror".

In December 2005, some Central Intelligence Agency operators were sent to Pakistan to find possible senior pro-US army officers who might replace Musharraf as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and to increase contacts with pro-democracy forces for the establishment of a civilian government.

The alternative strategy was considered imperative in Washington in light of growing unrest in Pakistan's civil society against the military establishment. This unrest was breeding radical Islamists, and Washington relied heavily on strongman Musharraf out of fear that such radicals might take control of the country if he were to go.

These efforts came to nothing, and Musharraf, who has held power since taking over in a coup in 1999, remained in control. However, with the Taliban poised for a massive spring offensive (in part with Pakistan's support), Washington is once again concerned. According to a New York Times report, Washington's frustration at doing business with Musharraf is matched only by the fear of living without him.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IC16Df02.html

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