Bush Authorizes Special Forces Raids in Pakistan...

[dav3]

...without Pakistani authorization.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush secretly approved orders in July that for the first time allow U.S. special forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without the approval of the Pakistani government, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

The new orders reflect concern about safe havens for Al Qaeda and the Taliban inside Pakistan, as well as an American view that Pakistan lacks the will and ability to combat militants, the paper said.

"The situation in the tribal areas is not tolerable," said a senior U.S. official who spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity. "We have to be more assertive. Orders have been issued."

The newspaper said the orders also illustrated lingering distrust of the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies and a belief some U.S. operations had been compromised once Pakistanis were advised of the details.

U.S. officials told the Times they would notify Pakistan when they conduct limited ground attacks like the Special Operations raid last week in a Pakistani village near the Afghanistan border, but they would not ask for its permission.

Pakistan army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani said on Wednesday Pakistan would not allow foreign troops to conduct operations on its soil.

"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country will be defended at all cost and no external force is allowed to conduct operations ... inside Pakistan," a military statement quoted Kayani as saying.

A senior U.S. official told the Times the Pakistani government had assented privately to the general concept of limited ground assaults by U.S. forces against significant militant targets, but that it did not approve each mission.

The top U.S. military officer told Congress on Wednesday the military was not winning the fight against the insurgency in Afghanistan and said it would revise its strategy to combat militant safe havens in Pakistan.

"I'm not convinced we are winning it in Afghanistan. I am convinced we can," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a congressional committee nearly seven years after U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban.

Mullen said he was "looking at a new, more comprehensive strategy for the region" that would cover both sides of the border, including Pakistan's tribal areas.

Violence in Afghanistan has soared over the past two years as al Qaeda and Taliban fighters have regrouped in the remote region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The United States has stepped up attacks against militant targets inside Pakistan this year with a series of missile strikes from unmanned drones and a raid by helicopter-borne U.S. commandos in recent days. The attacks have been denounced by Pakistani leaders.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...49120720080911

[baddog]

Surprised it took so long.

[Brujah]

[dav3]

Originally Posted by Brujah

[clubvin]

wants to try again his luck for catching osama! wants to catch and tell the world what he has achieved...

[baddog]

Originally Posted by clubvin

wants to try again his luck for catching osama! wants to catch and tell the world what he has achieved...

Not exactly.

[thaifan99]

which is why McCain couldn`t answer larry kings question - he knew this was coming.

[baddog]

Originally Posted by thaifan99

he knew this was coming.

Who didn't?

[tony286]

If I remember right Obama spoke about going into Pakistan, they attacked him. interesting.

[crockett]

Originally Posted by tony404

If I remember right Obama spoke about going into Pakistan, they attacked him. interesting.

The shoe is always on the other foot with the Republicans. If there is anything they know, it's the fact that 90% of their base is too stupid to remember what they did or said 2 weeks ago and if it makes them hypocrites or not. The 10% that can remember don't care because they give the support blindly.

[dav3]

Political views aside...

So US forces can't fully trust the Pakistanis:

The newspaper said the orders also illustrated lingering distrust of the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies and a belief some U.S. operations had been compromised once Pakistanis were advised of the details.

Which is understandable. By why would they still tell anyone in Pakistan of an upcoming operation? Doesn't that totally defeat the purpose?

U.S. officials told the Times they would notify Pakistan when they conduct limited ground attacks...

If there are going to be conducting unauthorized special forces raids, at least do it right and don't announce it to the people in which you have no trust.

[baddog]

Originally Posted by tony404

If I remember right Obama spoke about going into Pakistan, they attacked him. interesting.

Maybe because his campaign has been withdraw, withdraw, withdraw, when the reality of the situation is that he wouldn't do anything different than what is already happening. Just a guess of course.

Originally Posted by dav3

Which is understandable. By why would they still tell anyone in Pakistan of an upcoming operation? Doesn't that totally defeat the purpose?

Professional courtesy. If Pakistan was really interested in getting rid of al Qaeda and the Taliban they would not inform them ahead of time. That is why they decided to stop being polite.

[tony286]

Originally Posted by baddog

Maybe because his campaign has been withdraw, withdraw, withdraw, when the reality of the situation is that he wouldn't do anything different than what is already happening. Just a guess of course.



Professional courtesy. If Pakistan was really interested in getting rid of al Qaeda and the Taliban they would not inform them ahead of time. That is why they decided to stop being polite.

you got the obama part a little wrong
http://www.reuters.com/article/domes...32206420070801

Obama said if elected in November 2008 he would be willing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the Pakistani government, a move that would likely cause anxiety in the already troubled region.
this was in 2007

[Rochard]

The last time Afghanistan was invaded.... All of the men, material, weapons, aid, and support flowed through one country....... Pakistan. Surprise!

[Drake]

Originally Posted by tony404

you got the obama part a little wrong
http://www.reuters.com/article/domes...32206420070801

Obama said if elected in November 2008 he would be willing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the Pakistani government, a move that would likely cause anxiety in the already troubled region.
this was in 2007

I distinctly remember that

[baddog]

Originally Posted by tony404

you got the obama part a little wrong
http://www.reuters.com/article/domes...32206420070801

Obama said if elected in November 2008 he would be willing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the Pakistani government, a move that would likely cause anxiety in the already troubled region.
this was in 2007

And the link showing him being attacked?