US Forces in Afghanistan Attack Pakistani Border Regions

[Srirangan]

Asserting a right to self-defence, American forces in eastern Afghanistan launched artillery rounds into Pakistan to strike Taliban fighters who attack remote US outposts, the commander of US forces in the region said today.

The skirmishes are politically sensitive because Pakistan's government, regarded by the Bush administration as an important ally against Islamic extremists, has denied that it allows US forces to strike inside its territory.

The use of the largely ungoverned Waziristan area of Pakistan as a haven for Taliban and al-Qaida fighters has become a greater irritant between Washington and Islamabad since Pakistan put in place a peace agreement there in September that was intended to stop cross-border incursions.

Read more: American Forces in Afghanistan Attack Pakistani Border Regions | India Defence

[Parihaka]

Had to happen, it'll be interesting to see Pakistans response

[Srirangan]

From a Pakistani Source: Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

"* Pakistan to seek clarification over US military official’s statement"

this could play out bad politically for Musharraf who hopes to get "re-elected" (wasn't elected in the first place, nor is he being re-elected, but that's a different story). Opposition would get a shot in the arm.

[troung]

Claret time anyone?

The skirmishes are politically sensitive because Pakistan's government, regarded by the Bush administration as an important ally against Islamic extremists, has denied that it allows US forces to strike inside its territory.

That's the problem. With all the pushing about Iran on the media and so forth Pakistan's active role in killing NATO soldiers goes totally unpunished and forgotten.

But hey its just the Neo-Taliban with the damn leaders, the same women oppressing, head chopping militia supported by the Pakistanis and killing NATO soldiers while the government fiddles...

[Ray]

Pakistan is not doing what it can do.

That is a truism.

However, Musharraf is helpless. He cannot go against the Moslem sentiments since that is the decider to his Presidentship and his life!

Therefore, he is in a bind.

The current impasse is the sole mode of playing it out.

Unless a Kashmir type of deployment is done by the NATO, there is no answer to the problem. But that requires an immense amount of troops which neither the US nor the NATO can provide.

[Hari_Om]

From a Pakistani Source: Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

"* Pakistan to seek clarification over US military official’s statement"

Sri,

First we have Pakistan say that then we have Robert Gates saying this which would imply the Pakistani’s have nothing to clarify having been in the know all along ;) :

……. Gates also said that U.S. forces who have been launching artillery rounds over the border into Pakistan to target the Taliban have been coordinating with the Pakistanis. He said he did not know if Musharraf approved the cross-border fire, but doubted that he would do so personally. ………..

CBS

Odd comment from Robert Gates though that he did not know if General President Musharraf approved the cross border fire.

I would have thought any decision to permit your own territory being shelled from across a border would require clearance from the very pinnacle of the totem pole, if not for every instance than most certainly for approving the overall concept.

Or is Robert Gates pulling a fast one and the truth is closer to what the Pakistani army’s top spokesman Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan had to say in the Daily Times article posted by you :

……. The Pakistani army’s top spokesman said coalition forces operating in Afghanistan are not allowed to fire into Pakistani territory but acknowledged that artillery fire from the coalition had landed inside Pakistan in recent days. Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan also said Pakistan would seek clarification over the US military statement. “There is a clear understanding between us and the coalition authority about respecting the sanctity of international border,” Sultan said. “And Pakistan would not allow any coalition forces to violate the international border.” “In case of any target inside Pakistani territory, the intelligence would be passed on to us and we would take action,” he added. …….

[Stan187]

Had to happen

Quoted For Truth. And it shoulda happened much earlier. As I think Troung once said, almost everywhere where there is terrorism, there is almost always some extremist Pakistanis involved in some way.

[Srirangan]

Quoted For Truth. And it shoulda happened much earlier. As I think Troung once said, almost everywhere where there is terrorism, there is almost always some extremist Pakistanis involved in some way.

Eureka! Eureka!

Dang .. And we knew it a decade and a half back .. :-/

[Hari_Om]

Quoted For Truth. And it shoulda happened much earlier. As I think Troung once said, almost everywhere where there is terrorism, there is almost always some extremist Pakistanis involved in some way.

Dangerously insidious stuff perhaps bordering on the propagandist ;) .

[Ray]

Hari Om,

Pakistan may ask the US for all the clarification that Pakistan desires.

However, the moot point is - will the US oblige?

And since the US does not, what has Pakistan done?

Nothing.

Because they can do nothing!

They depend on the US in many fields and you don't go killing the golden goose, do you, even if you take a knife out and move in this direction to please you starving family?

Just an allegory.