Comments on: Major Push Against al-Qaeda In Pakistan Coming Soon

By: Dinah Lord

Dinah Lord — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:40:06 +0000

One thing to remember about Ms. Bhutto: the Taliban government in Afghanistan was recognized by Pakistan under her last government — making Pakistan one of only four governments in the whole world to grant them official recognition. The other three? Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Chechnya.

Not a good sign – especially since now it appears she is making nice-nice talk about the Islamists.

So you can see why I REALLY hope you are right, AJ.

By: dave m

dave m — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:36:17 +0000

The quote about “eid” confused me so I had to go and look it
up. I think “eid” is over, around the end of October. Nothing had
happened by that date.

By: Terrye

Terrye — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:38:51 +0000

I hope AJ is right here. And as far as san up there is concerned, it should be remembered that it was on Clinton’s watch that Mushareff took over the country of Pakistan and it was on Clinton’s watch that the Paks got nukes.

And it is the Democrats who want to snuggle up with the Iranian mullahs in spite of that whole Death to America and dictatorship thing they got going over there. So spare us the uninformed hypocricy.

As for Mushareff, he is between a rock and a hard place and here of late Bhutto has signalled that she is considering an alliance with the Islamists herself to bring down Mushareff. Talking out both sides of her mouth she is.

By: cab8505

cab8505 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:34:19 +0000

I’m right there with you AJ!

From my vantage point I think we are watching a Pakistani Kabuki Opera. Postering, yelling, hollering….but all under a bright, white, cool light.

Have we seen any rampaging demostrations in the interior of Pakistan? Have we seen any major deaths (expect the bombing upon Bhutto’s return)?

I’ve seen more “authentic” performances performed by a certain NY Senator at question/answer session in Iowa!

Where the ball drops, no one knows.

By: WWS

WWS — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:25:20 +0000

I hope you are right on this one, AJ. I have never thought highly of Musharref but all alternatives are still worse. Bhutto is hardly a democratic savior, her corruption is why she got run out of the country in the first place.

By: crosspatch

crosspatch — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:12:42 +0000

“I get the feeling their is more going on in Pakistan than meets the eye. ”

Yeah, that’s pretty much what I have been saying for a while now. It seems like you can find press reports that will validate any conclusion you want to draw.

By: MerlinOS2

MerlinOS2 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 04:04:40 +0000

Lurker

Part of the issue is his ROE he has been using.

Remember the area we are talking about his not flatlands here, it is some of the most mountainous difficult to approach made for an ambush terrain you would ever want to fight in. Portions of the area are already snowbound making logistics and issue.

He has barely used air assets he has available because of the political volatility of the situation.

A few choppers are finally being used because the cooling of the weather finally gave them enough added ceiling to be used more effectively. In the summer choppers are almost unable to reach some of the areas they are most needed to fight.

He has fighter and bombers in his air force but they have mostly sat on the ground. Fixed wing aircraft have been limited to surveillance and airdrop resupply.

Even in Tora Bora some of our equipment during the summer can’t reach targets they would like due to operating at their max altitude above sea level with any decent cargo/weapon loading.

By: the struggler

the struggler — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:47:05 +0000

test

By: the struggler

the struggler — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 03:46:32 +0000

these base are belong to us!

By: sanjeevn

sanjeevn — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:44:03 +0000

Oh yes, Musharraf is replacing Supreme Court justices with sycophants, putting lawyers into jail, putting all opposition leaders into jail, teargassing protesters and planning a soviet politburo-style election so that he can plan his grand finale!! This is the level Republicans / Conservatives have fallen … let 160 million people rot in martial law hell because we need the SOB dictator on our side. Say out loud : Freedom is on the march.

By: lurker9876

lurker9876 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:17:48 +0000

Musharraf’s army hasn’t done well against the Islam radicals so what’s the guarantee that he would succeed this time. Surely, he knows he had to ask for our help, such as dropping bombs.

And why would he reconfine Bhutto?

By: MerlinOS2

MerlinOS2 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:13:36 +0000

If for any reason the fight leans toward the side of those trying to take down the country, Musharraf may have to take the Hobson’s choice and simply declare the tribal areas as a free fire zone and do what is necessary with no regard to civilian casualties. I have even see some worst case discussions that with enough deterioration of the situation , AQ may get their nuke weapon , but not exactly the way they want it.

Many in Pakistan have always considered the tribal areas a place of great risk to the country in any event and fully support cleaning out the area and starting all over again since just cherry picking out the terrorists will only result in a temporary success that will have to be revisited later.

By: Mike M.

Mike M. — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:00:37 +0000

If he does this, Musharraf will have earned the Gerald Ford Political Self-Sacrifice Award.

And a Nobel Peace Prize, but he won’t collect that one.