Pakistan Deploys Troops Along Afghan Border (To Stop Taliban Fleeing U.S. Offensive)

Fox News ^ | Thursday, July 02, 2009

[nickcarraway]

Pakistan's army has deployed troops to a stretch of the Afghan border to stop Taliban militants fleeing a major U.S. offensive in southern Afghanistan, a spokesman said Thursday.

Nearly 4,000 U.S. Marines plus 650 Afghan forces moved into Afghanistan's Helmand province early Thursday to take on the Taliban in one of their strongholds.

Pakistani and US officials have expressed concern the American troop build up in southern Afghanistan could push the militants across the poorly guarded and mountainous border into Pakistan.

"We've mustered more troops from the other areas of the border" to deploy opposite the Helmand region, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas. "It is sort of a reorganization."

He said the threat of militants crossing over had been "visualized." He gave no more details.

[Rodebrecht]

Nearly 4,000 U.S. Marines plus 650 Afghan forces moved into Afghanistan's Helmand province early Thursday to take on the Taliban in one of their strongholds.

Why is the difference so extreme between the number of Americans fighting for Afghanistan and Afghans fighting for Afghanistan. If these people actually want their country back, they need to contribute more and step up. I'm sick of American treasure and more precious blood being dumped into helping people who are, at best, lukewarm towards us and would, at worst, actively try to kill those of us who sacrifice so much to help them.

[monocle]

Haven’t you ever noticed how quickly Muslims make and break their alliances?

[nickcarraway]

It certainly begs the question of how successful the mission can be, if it has so little domestic support.

[Rodebrecht]

They have to want it. US can’t just come in and make it all better.