US seeks permission to bomb Pakistan tribal areas[!]

Hindustan Times ^ | 2/01/2003 | Indo-Asian News Service

[TheConservator]

The US has sought "permission" of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to bomb the tribal areas of Waziristan and Northern Areas, where 10,000 Al-Qaeda terrorists are reported to have taken sanctuary, well informed sources have said.

US officials, who sounded Musharraf, were reported to have specifically identified the Mahsoud and Khattak tribes as those providing sanctuary to the Al-Qaeda men who had fled Afghanistan to escape the manhunt by US troops.

The sources said the Pakistani military establishment was concerned about the US move, because it felt the move could lead to a revolt by some 100,000 Mahsoud and Khattak soldiers in the army.

Lt. General (Retd.) Ali Quli Khan Khattak, who was overlooked for the army chief's post by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in favour of Musharraf, had conveyed the concerns of the Khattak and Mehsoud tribes to Gen. Mohammed Aziz, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the sources said.

He also warned about the possibility of a revolt by the tribespersons in the army should the government accede to the US request.

While senior military officials would not comment on the exact number of Al Qaida activists in Pakistan, they maintained that the figure quoted by US officials was on the "higher side."

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the six-party alliance of Islamic radicals, held nation-wide protests in early January against Musharraf's decision to go along with the US in Afghanistan, the joint military operations in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and US plans to attack Iraq.

The protest by the MMA, which emerged as a major force in the country's political scene after the October elections and rules the volatile NWFP, followed exchange of fire between Pakistani and US troops close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border on December 29 and January 3.

Addressing a protest rally in Islamabad, Maulana Samiul Haq, a factional leader of the Jamiatul Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), warned that there would be an "open war here" if the US attacked Iraq and that "no American will be safe."

In Karachi JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for withdrawal of support to the US if it attacked Iraq while Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed, addressing a rally in Peshawar, urged a change in Pakistan's foreign policy "which is in favour of the US and against Muslims and does not reflect the aspirations of the nation."

No Al-Qaeda backers in Army, ISI: Kasuri

Dismissing reports of Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements having infiltrated the ranks of the Pakistani military and the country's intelligence agency ISI, Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said such reports were absolutely wrong and being spread by the people who want to harm Pakistan's close and friendly relations with the United States".

Speaking to Christian Bourge of the United Press International in Washington, Kasuri said that it was impossible for such people to survive in the military or the ISI because "both follow a strict military code", according to a report in the Dawn. He added that military personnel primarily staffed the ISI, and that President Pervez Musharraf and top military leaders kept them under strict control.

[TheConservator]

I'll bet the tribes are "concerned."

I am glad to see we are finally starting to get serious about rooting these Islamofascists out.

[Cool Guy]

BUMP!

[Mr. Mojo]

Dismissing reports of Al-Qaeda and Taliban elements having infiltrated the ranks of the Pakistani military and the country's intelligence agency ISI....

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss such reports.

[Spruce]

The sh*t is hitting the fan.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said such reports were absolutely wrong and being spread by the people who want to harm Pakistan's close and friendly relations with the United States....

:)

Are they 'close and friendly' enough to give the US permission to bomb your country, Minister?

[KickRightRudder]

Now we're getting somewhere. We will find a gold mine full of dirt bags in the border areas of Pakistan.

The Christian Science Monitor last Jan. interviewed a radical who said Bin Laden was living there and even named the town or village. He was arrogant in saying the US military couldn't get to him 'cause the whole town would lie to protect him. I believed the guy at the time(about B.L. being there). These towns don't even have roads. Its like Montana in the 19th century.

If B.L. is alive,and I think he is, Bush might hit the jackpot if we get serious about this area.

[Savage Beast]

Which tribe is it that punishes unauthorized heterosexual conversation with gangbang of nearest female relative?

[river rat]

Only a fool would expect these Islamists to ever stop hating us or wishing us dead...

It is important only for them to fear us, and recognize we can and will destroy them if they act on their murderous dreams....

Semper Fi

[EGPWS]

The sh*t is hitting the fan.

Yea, for about 2 years now! :-)

[AntiGuv]

It is important only for them to fear us, and recognize we can and will destroy them if they act on their murderous dreams....

The problem, as I see things, is that their dreams aren't just murderous, but also suicidal...

[happygrl]

Our command might be getting serious, but it looks doubtful that we will be allowed to bomb under the political circumstances. If there are 100,000 soldiers who are from these tribal areas who become unhappy with Musharref, plus AlQada sympathizers in the Army and Intelligence, Musharref is continuing to walk a tightrope.

[gitmogrunt]

These fascistic tribes of mountain cockroaches will make excellent target practice and cannonfodder.

[Teacher317]

True, but I'm sure he'd be happy to let us get rid of the problem. No effort for him, low risk of (further) civil unrest, and any unpopular results get blamed on those darn Americans.

[Lion's Cub]

I hope we made it clear that this is one of those requests they can't refuse.

Some people cannot be reformed and are not worth the cost of American blood in order to limit civilian casualties.

[HiJinx]

Not only that, there are miles upon miles of rail cars full of bombs sitting at our Army Depots...we really need to dispose of all that old ordnance!

[Morrigan]

The only thing about that is, we can't threaten them with death. They don't care about dying. So what is left to threaten them with? I say, Islam!

Make a public announcement that the US is coating missles and bullets in pig fat, as well as wrapping the bodies of the enemy in pigskins for burial. That'll threaten them, all right. They will freak if they think they won't be able to smother themselves in virgins in the hereafter.

[CWOJackson]

Just tell them that the virgins waiting for them in Heaven all look like Rosanne Barr.

[Morrigan]

ROFL!

[Jim Noble]

>>The US has sought "permission" of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to bomb the tribal areas of Waziristan and Northern Areas, where 10,000 Al-Qaeda terrorists are reported to have taken sanctuary, well informed sources have said<<

After the War, we'll be asking New Delhi for permission-and we'll get it.

[Free the USA]

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