US to hunt the Taliban inside Pakistan ...... (Musharraf to address to the nation)

Asia Times ^ | Jul 3, 2007 | Syed Saleem Shahzad

[IrishMike]

KARACHI - Since last September, North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces in Afghanistan have been pressing Islamabad for the right to conduct extensive hot-pursuit operations into Pakistan to target Taliban and al-Qaeda bases.

According to Asia Times Online contacts, NATO and its US backers have gotten their wish: coalition forces will start hitting targets wherever they might be.

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf is expected to make an important announcement on extremism during an address to the nation in the next day or two.

The ATol contacts in Islamabad say that coalition intelligence has pinpointed at least four centers in the tribal areas of North Waziristan and South Waziristan on the border with Afghanistan from which Taliban operations inside Afghanistan are run. These bases include arms caches and the transfer and raising of money and manpower, the latter in the form of foot-soldiers to fight with the Taliban-led insurgency.

Operations inside Pakistan might be carried out independently by the United States, probably with air power, by Pakistani forces acting alone or as joint offensives. In all cases, though, the US will pull the strings, for instance by providing the Pakistanis with information on targets to hit.

Musharraf has apparently already told his military commanders, the National Security Council and decision-makers in government of the development.

Officially, both NATO and Pakistan deny any agreement on hot-pursuit activities. Major John Thomas, spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, told Asia Times Online, "The ISAF would not strike any targets across the border. That is not part of our mission. We work with the Pakistani government closely on cross-border issues. The ISAF does not have a counter-terrorism mission that I know of."

[CaptRon]

Those ejecting shells must really mess up the paint.

[pandemoniumreigns]

"Too light on armor, though, for our troops."

I think that its use would be more for something like a presidential procession...Just another unasumming SUV until truble starts...then look out...

[Red_Devil 232]

"Those ejecting shells must really mess up the paint.

But they make a nice ringing sound, don't they!

[SirLinksalot]

Musharaf is the one domino whose fall will be the one we should all watch.

If a coup occurs in Pakistan, let’s hope and pray that the person who takes over is not an Islamist nutjob. Remember, Pakistan has nuclear weapons.

This is a very hard case of supporting the devil you know.

[CCGuy]

Great footage, but that’s definitely an Apache targeting system.

Even with camera stabilization you will still have a circling effect on the target as you watch it because we just haven’t been able to get 130s to hover in place yet. :-)

[Clam Digger]

I agree, but that’s pretty hard to control 4k rpm in a crowd situation. I really wouldn’t want that sucker deployed anywhere INCONUS, except maybe the southern border.

[CatoRenasci]

wouldn’t surprise me...

[angelcindy]

I just think it’s funny after all these yrs they wouldn’t let us in ...hmm n now maybe Bush is trying to save his presidentency by getting osama.

[freeangel]

Well, as long as he gives enough notice so the talibni can run, who would care?

[CatoRenasci]

I think Mushie is scared sh*tless he’ll be toppled and, I think Bush has told him we’ll take out Pakistan’s nukes if they don’t let us take care of the bad guys in Pakistan. Remember, the Pakis have nukes that we REALLY don’t want the even worse guys to get their hands on (like the Iranians).

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Got this going on also:

BBC: Clashes erupt at Pakistan mosque ( The Red Mosque - fights for Sharia Law)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks ,

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Wow,....and from two and a half miles.....unreal.....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Damn,...now I’m afraid of all suburbans....

[jveritas]

Excellent news.

[SunkenCiv]

This is a biggie!

[SevenMinusOne]

It's true (has been in the shadows already) and you're correct. It is very big. AQ elements will be scattering....Intel will go through the roof.

[PsyOp]

He really has no choice. The militant islamists have their base of support in this region. He has to root them out at the source or watch his country continue sliding toward civil war. I suspect this will be done in conjunction with major crackdowns in the cities. Things are about to get very unpleasant for the radicals in Pakistan.

He also has China and India looking over his shoulder. If the radicals take over in Pakistan, they are not likely to sit on their hands while some whackjob grabs the Paki nuclear football.

There is a lot at stake here. On both sides.

[Marine_Uncle]

Let us hope US Special Forces teams are given the free reign to cross and get the bastards with the aid when required of air strikes. Tis about frigen time Mussy realize either he stops farting off, and realize his country is crawling with al Qaeda and other radical Islamic groups that must be killed off, or this crap will go on for a very long time.
These networks and the brains must be killed off at their sources. It must be demonstrated on a daily basis that they have no more safe havens, only the prospects of being killed.

[dervish]

Mushie is running out of cat lives.

When he goes the Nukes fall into Islamist hands. I hope we have contingency plans.