Obviously dropping some 6 footers from Nebraska or Kentucky would stick out, but according to a bunch of websites, thre’s a rather large Pashtun diaspora(100K in the UK, less in the US but still sizeable, tens of thousands in France and Germany, millions in India and Afghanistan, etc...) I’m talking about running agents not sending in our own guys.
I find it hard to believe that with all of them and the networks of CIA, MI6, Karzai’s people and Afghan intel, BVT in Germany, French DST, etc... we’re unable to find people who know the language, look the part, and would be able to blend in and if not get close enough to UBL, Zawahiri or other top guys to take them out, would at least be able blend in enough and get close enough to hear things, pick up information that should be of major help.
I mean is it really that hard to gather up a few hundred out of more than 200,000 in the US, UK, France and Germany alone, not to mention the millions in India and Afghanistan, send them out to the Farm or wherever to train and put a few of em in the ring and see what happens.
We did it with people in Tibet and the Himalayas against the PRC, we worked with the Hmong and Montagnards and others in Laos, etc...
Now maybe all that is going on and we don’t hear about it.
But I’d have to think that it’s at least worth trying.
But I’d have to think that it’s at least worth trying.
As I said.....AQ is holding weekly beheadings within the Stan/Pak border regions.......(read between the lines).
The region is both much more complex (and yet simple) than you seem to understand -
Have we had boots on the ground to put us on targets within these regions?- There is not even a need for that to be a question...
The simple bottom line in hunts such as these..(for HVTs)..Is who can operate WITHIN the others OODA loop - So far, UBL & Zawahiri have operated within our OODA loop (for a variety of very real and difficult reasons....along with a few self-inflicted OODA stretching reasons).
Reality is, this is a sh*t part of the world and an even sh*tter area to operate out of (or to bring progress to).....At virtually every level the intangibles of this region give UBL (AQ HVTs) advantages at staying within our OODA loop.....
But one by one....we will continue to pick them off...as great risks lead to great successes....(we just need to be willing to take more risks). Not to mention finding that one mean SOB, knuckle-dragging Pashtun, with huge balls that cares more about himself and his rule....then about ties and loyalties......Give him all the gold and arms he wants....as long as he brings us HUMINT.