South Asia News
US considers expanding covert operations in Pakistan - report
Jan 6, 2008, 12:58 GMT
Washington - The US is considering allowing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the US military to conduct more aggressive covert operations in Pakistan's restive tribal area, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Quoting unnamed administration sources in Washington, the paper said the new policy would involve CIA agents and military special forces operating in the region bordering Afghanistan.
US Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a number of President George W Bush's top national security advisers met Friday to discuss the proposal, the paper said.
The newspaper said the US administration is worried about the declining power of Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf and the worsening security situation in the country since the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
The US fears the influence of the al-Qaeda terrorist network and Afghanistan's Taliban militants in nuclear-armed Pakistan.
'After years of focusing on Afghanistan, we think the extremists now see a chance for the big prize - creating chaos in Pakistan itself,' The New York Times quoted one senior US official as saying. The US currently has about 50 soldiers in Pakistan, the paper said.
© 2008 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
It is a plan that delivers more US-goons to the Taliban and the Pakistani ISI.
This way, they don't have to hunt for the US-freaks, they come to them to get knocked off. Life is getting better by the day.
Is America packing, ...yet?
They will be sent packing! Recall the pictures of the last US-''heroes'' trying to get a chopper lift out of Saigon some 34 years ago. Yup, perhaps the US-goons are only safe in CONUS anymore -- times are getting tough for the ''empire''.
That dream can be buried! Let's hope, there's not another depression. Sorry, printed dollars will no longer be accepted in the world -- you've done that for too long with far too much green paper. This time, you're on your own.
It's your mess, you own it -- live with it!
Here we go again. Bush/Cheney/Rice might as well let the extremist's sit in on their meetings. This mis-administration is so amateurish, or is this just another leak for Spin purposes? A covert operation is covert from top to bottom. The CIA knows what to do, so let them plan any operation. In the past, they have had some success by using indigenous forces and not USA special forces--which would create a blow back--politically. I am sure that the Pakistani and the Afghans , in the border, move freely back and forth, specially if they are involved in illegal activities such as drug trafficking. The CIA could fund an Afghan war lord and turn a war lord in the tribal territories. In the interim, the Bush/Cheney mis-administration should just keep their 'six shooter' mouths shut. Personally, I do not think that OBL or AlZawahari exist. I think they have been dead for years. I believe that Musharraf, Bush, Cheney and a few others know that.
'They will be sent packing! Recall the pictures of the last US-''heroes'' trying to get a chopper lift out of Saigon some 34 years ago'
Yeah, like when the Germans kicked us out in 1945.... Oh wait...
page: 1
NoharnessJan 6th, 2008 - 16:21:29
Okay, I've lost track. Is this Plan 'D' or Plan 'E'? Wait, whaddaya mean Plan 'F'?
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