Posts with the tag Pakistan

Pakistan-Afghan Border: Next US Target?

Bobby Allyn — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:43:28 EDT

On Sunday's Meet the Press, CIA Director Michael Hayden said, "If there were another terrorist attack against Americans, it would most certainly originate from that region"[Afghan-Pakistan border], according to the AP.

Hayden said the area presents a "clear and present danger".

Interestingly, the phrase "clear and present danger" was used by John Ashcroft to describe terrorist threat after Sept. 11., leading up to the 2003 Iraq invasion

Also prior to the invasion, McCain said, "Saddam Hussein presents clear and present danger to the United States of America with his continued pursuit of to acquire weapons of mass destruction."

Hayden continued:

"Operationally, we are turning every effort to capture or kill that leadership from the top to the bottom."

-----------------------------------

Is the Pakistan-Afgan border the next region Bush plans to continue the "struggle against global terrorism"?

Will there be a concerted attack, since Iran didn't work out, to distract Americans from Iraq?

democracy |di?mäkr?s?|

Ali M Latifi — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:13:16 EST

Musharraf on Monday warned troops would shoot anyone trying to disrupt the balloting.

I read this headline on the flat panel in the elevator at work today (yes, DC is the land of random flat panel TVs) and I wondered how Musharraf and his cronies don't understand what democracy really means?

Yes, Let's Invade Pakistan

Jesse Singal — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:31:36 EST

I know it's from the Guardian, which has a bit of a reputation for military rumor mongering, but I can't help but highlight this article. I've taken the liberty of bolding every idea that is crazy and which no one who has witnessed the events of the past few years could possibly take seriously. For incredibly, insanely crazy ideas -- that is, ideas that are so crazy a person who was merely crazy would recognize them as such, and it would require a significantly more crazy person to take them seriously -- I've taken the liberty of adding italics and underlining as well:

The man who devised the Bush administration's Iraq troop surge has urged the US to consider sending elite troops to Pakistan to seize its nuclear weapons if the country descends into chaos.
In a series of scenarios drawn up for Pakistan, Frederick Kagan, a former West Point military historian, has called for the White House to consider various options for an unstable Pakistan.
These include: sending elite British or US troops to secure nuclear weapons capable of being transported out of the country and take them to a secret storage depot in New Mexico or a "remote redoubt" inside Pakistan; sending US troops to Pakistan's north-western border to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida; and a US military occupation of the capital Islamabad, and the provinces of Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan if asked for assistance by a fractured Pakistan military, so that the US could shore up President Pervez Musharraf and General Ashfaq Kayani, who became army chief this week.

President Bush and VP Cheney, Your Time Has Come And Gone!

Justanothercoverup — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:29:10 EST

We as a nation are watching the country of Pakistan, a primary ally of the United States, in a state of emergency and now under martial law. This, in my opinion, is a condition that the United States, through thoughtful deployment of our armed forces could have helped to avoid - yet when we had the chance to completely decimate the Taliban and Al Qaeda, your Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, answering to you and Vice-President Dick Cheney - allowed both of the above terrorist entities to escape from Tora Bora by allowing the Afghanistan Military, as ill-trained as they were, to conduct the final mop-up of the remaining insurgents in Afghanistan and the Central Commands refusal to commit the necessary troops to finalize the destruction of Taliban and Al Qaeda elements, which allowed many of them to escape into the northern tribal areas of Pakistan and again become a threat to US interests, Pakistan itself, and now the fight in Afghanistan is almost as fierce as it was when we first began.

It is common knowledge that Pakistan has a substantial nuclear arsenal, and by and through the incompetence of the White House and the Department of Defense, then headed by Donald Rumsfeld - we allowed this to happen and instead turned our military might on Iraq, who had no weapons of mass destruction and had absolutely nothing to do with the events that transpired on 9-11.

Present Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney - you have both failed this nation miserably, and as a private citizen that predicted this development in Pakistan, I personally condemn both of you for failing our nation in a time of war. No one yet knows how Pakistan will weather this crisis, but I wholeheartedly support the people of Pakistan that are attempting to stave-off radical Islam, and we as a nation are aware that it was your decisions that allowed this unprecedented spiral of Pakistan into anarchy - and whatever the consequences may be, you both stand responsible for Pakistan’s fate.

Through experience we have learned that radical Islam spreads like a cancer, and through your own words we know this, as well as our continued monitoring of this situation in Pakistan and other nations who are fighting radical Islam. You both state that you support our troops and are attempting to make America safer; by your very actions, which reek of utter incompetence and greed, you have failed the people of the United States, the world, and especially those who trusted your judgment. These events in Pakistan could easily destabilize the Middle-East even more than your actions have already done - and the people of the United States should rise-up in unison and condemn your actions and incompetence.

Please Mr. Bush and Cheney - your time to lead this nation has come and gone; you have demonstrated that you have no respect for our own Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and the Rule of Law. Not only have you violated our own laws and the trust of a nation, in addition to the many international laws and treaties you’ve violated your decisions have negatively impacted several nations throughout the world - and over a million Iraqis and thousands of our own troops now lie dead because of your miscalculations, incompetence, and violation of International Law. If you care for this great nation as you state you do - it’s time for both of you to resign so that we can begin to rebuild this shattered nation, and at the same time, mitigate the damage your administration has caused throughout the world!

America as a nation should rise-up and demand your resignation, and those of us that do not are contributing to the downfall of the country our forefathers fought and died for - something that you refused to do during the Vietnam War, staying comfortably in the US while more then 58,000 of America’s best lost their lives in the Vietnam War. We need a President with the will to guide this nation by and through the tenants as set forth in our constitution - not as they are interpreted by a tyrant and Dictator. I call upon our Congress and the American people to demand your resignations - and if that does not happen forthwith, then it is now the time to begin impeachment proceedings. This nation, nor the world, can stand much more of your incompetence and violation of our sacred laws and spirit of freedom and liberty - and I respectfully call for both of your resignations as a free person and citizen of the United States of America!

William Cormier

Footnote: When I write an editorial of this nature, it is in the hopes that other patriotic Americans will also choose to stand-up against a government the military itself believes “is out of control.” We have reached a point in our history when the “Thought Crime Prevention Bill” will soon come before the Senate, and what that Bill will mean to us that continue to challenge the government remains to be seen. I note, sometimes with great trepidation, that the CIA and other governmental agencies are reading this site - and although I have written nothing that is illegal - I, as well as other individuals that run Blogs, have installed tracking software to get a glimpse of who is reading what we have written. It is often quite unsettling to note that words written that are non-violent and simply request our own government to follow our own laws is being monitored by the government - and it may be simple intimidation, or something much more sinister. None of us that write to further the cause of our constitutional values know exactly what Bush and Cheney are planning, however - when you take into consideration the way the ‘Thought Crime Prevention Bill” is written, it is ominous as best - and at worst, could mean the end of free speech in the United States.

This Bill, above all others, is the greatest assault on free speech and our constitutional guarantees ever presented before Congress, and it enjoys huge bipartisan support - which means that our Congress is still cowed and complicit with the Bush administration. We as Americans must stand-up to repression and tyranny any way we can - and to do otherwise is to stand idly by while our rights and freedoms are very quickly disappearing. Please, join in with the rest of the “Freedom Fighters” and voice your outrage against a government that no longer represents the people - but only pays homage to huge multinational corporations and the dynasty families of America.

The Thought Police are Coming - to the National Federation of Republican Women

JAC

The War On Terror is Real, But We Are Fighting In The Wrong Country

Justanothercoverup — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:35:18 EDT

There have been some on the far-left who have stated the War on Terror isn’t “real.” I beg to disagree; we cannot allow our genuine dislike of this President to influence our thought process to the extent that we believe everything that comes out his mouth is a lie! Most of his public appearances are political in nature, and we all know that the truth is heard less often from Bush than any public official I’m currently aware of - but it’s possible Cheney is in a dead-heat in the believability scales; so as we search through Bush’s rhetoric, it’s important to understand that some statements, albeit over-exemplified and blown out of proportion - are somewhat truthful, and those rare occurrences deserve our attention.

I believe the threat of Radial Islam is real, and if it isn’t addressed on a worldwide scale, and treated as the police and intelligence operation it should be, the growth of Radical Islam will increase and threaten the world at large. No country is invulnerable to this threat, including the United States itself. President Pervez Musharraf made the mistake of attempting to appease the lawless tribal regions and Al Qaeda, thinking that radicalism is somehow synonymous to logic and reason; they are not, and that flawed logic has turned once-peaceful Pakistan into a hot-bed of Islamic discontent:

Al Qaeda to declare war on Musharraf

* Declaration against Pakistan’s president imminent, group says
* Bin Laden to denounce Musharraf for cooperating with U.S.
* Al-Zawahiri tape says U.S. being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq
* Bin Laden deputy also calls for jihad against France, Spain

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) – Osama bin Laden will release a new message soon declaring war on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, al Qaeda announced Thursday.

The announcement of the upcoming message came as al Qaeda released a new video in which bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, boasted that the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places.

Officials in Pakistan confirmed Thursday that Musharraf, who also is Pakistan’s military chief, would seek a second five-year term as president.

Speakers in the video promised more fighting in Afghanistan, North Africa and Sudan’s Darfur region. MUCH MORE

In every nation that has allowed Radical Islam to gain even a small foot-hold, they (the radicals) have tried to create their own areas of governance which is almost always in direct contradiction to the current rule of law for that nation. Their tactics are always one of murder, intimidation, and the regression of any semblance of dignity and respect for the associated female population(s). Radical Islam has been a blight on the world, and to curb it’s affect on our societies, a worldwide consortium of nations will be required to fight Radical Islam - and creating a training-ground and inspiration for millions more to join Radical Islam is our Iraq War in a nut-shell, which has done more to aid the cause of Radicals throughout the world and has also harmed our own national security.

Pakistan is a prime example of a failed U.S foreign policy. We refused to strike-out against the Taliban in the northern tribal area of Pakistan out of respect to President Musharraf and his failed efforts to quell radicalism in his own country; now, a recent poll has indicated that Osama Bin Laden is more popular than President Musharraf - and that is sobering news!

Bin Laden more popular than Musharraf in Pakistan: poll

ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is more popular in Pakistan than President Pervez Musharraf, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Nearly three-quarters of Pakistanis also oppose unilateral US military action against Islamic insurgents in Pakistan’s tribal areas, said the poll for Terror Free Tomorrow, a US-based organization.

The survey “may help explain why Osama bin Laden remains at large in Pakistan and why both al-Qaeda and the Taleban have regrouped there”, the group said in a statement. MORE

It doesn’t seem to be getting better, and now the U.S., one of Pakistan’s chief allies, has sided in some measure against President
Musharraf:

Pakistan crackdown: ’scores’ held

* ‘Hundreds’ of activists arrested after police take leaders into preventive custody
* Supreme Court dismisses 2 out of 7 petitions against Musharraf’s re-election bid
* Musharraf will seek new five-year term in presidential election set for October 6
* Pakistan’s legal fraternity named first candidate to challenge Musharraf

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Police intensified a crackdown Monday that opposition parties say has left hundreds of activists in custody while the Supreme Court dismissed three challenges to the re-election bid of Pakistan’s military leader.

The U.S. Embassy called the crackdown “extremely disturbing” and urged the immediate release of several opposition leaders arrested since Saturday night. The government said they were detained to derail possible unrest.

The criticism was unusually sharp, considering Washington has been one of the biggest supporters of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a key ally in the U.S. war on terrorism.

“The reports of arrests of the leadership of several major Pakistani political parties are extremely disturbing and confusing for the friends of Pakistan,” an embassy statement said. “We wish to express our serious concern about these developments. These detainees should be released as soon as possible.” MORE

On June 5th, 2003, in a speech to the Troops in Qatar, the President stated:

We have made it clear that we’ll hunt the terrorists down. There’s no place they can hide from the justice of the United States of America and our friends. And right now we’ve got — we’re on the hunt in the Horn of Africa. And of course, in the battle of Iraq, you set an example of skill and daring that will stand for all time. (Applause.) The very first strike in the liberation of Iraq started from right here, and many others followed. Missions of mercy are directed from here. LINK

Fast-forward to September 25, 2007 - and let this U.S. Intelligence Report sink-in to fully understand the folly and incompetence Bush and Cheney have demonstrated in prosecuting “the War on Terror.”

U.S. Intelligence Report to Say Al-Qaida Regroups

by Linda Wertheimer and Mary Louise Kelly

Morning Edition, July 17, 2007 • The National Intelligence Estimate, a survey of threats to the U.S. compiled from intelligence gathered by CIA, FBI, State Department and military intelligence agencies, is expected to report a persistent and evolving terrorist threat to the U.S. in the next three years from al-Qaeda. LINK

That’s right, in the final analysis, IF the United States would have stuck with President Bush’s policy of not allowing terrorists safe-haven no matter where they were, we would have followed and finished-off the leadership of Al Qaeda, The Taliban, and the lawless tribes of northern Pakistan would have been unable to destabilize the government of President Musharraf.

Look at this issue in perspective; The US is reported to have attack plans in place to bomb Iran at a moments notice; LINK Bombing Iran is a guarantee that President Musharraf’s government will dissolve almost as fast as President Bush’s ratings have, and then we are faced with a country controlled by Radical Islam that would possess NUCLEAR WEAPONS!

Did I miss something here? I thought attacking Iran would be to guarantee that they couldn’t destabilize the Middle-East by possessing Nuclear Weapons, yet the mere action of attacking Iran guarantees that the Middle-East will fall into a crisis of unimaginable depth as radicals in Pakistan decide the best use for their nuclear arsenal. Am I speaking nonsense? I think not, especially as you have read above that Pakistan is in dire circumstances, and stands as a model of a government that attempted to co-exist with Radical Islam, and is now paying the price for their naïveté…

Can Pakistan be saved? I don’t know, but as far as the stability of the Middle-East is concerned, and decapitating Al Qaeda and the Taliban as we should have years ago - I believe it’s worth a try. President Bush failed the American people when he allowed Al Qaeda to regroup, and the situation in Iraq is stark evidence of that allegation. Iraq is a war based on greed, power, and oil. If we have to be in a war, it should at least benefit mankind - and if we would get off our high-horses and treat our allies as equals, developing an international terrorist strike force with teeth would be easy - especially when the world once again gains respect for the United States. It may be wishful thinking, but Mr. Bush, your options are running out fast, and those left can only hurt our nation. Be “Presidential” for once and make a decision that will help to save a vital ally and deescalate the tension in the Middle-East.

Pakistan has been our friend and ally for decades - and to allow President Musharraf’s government fall to Radical Islam would be a blow to the Middle-East and the free world in general; anyone can make a mistake Mr. President, but it takes a great man to admit and rectify those errors, and right now, those who are in the know are watching you very carefully. You’ve loaded and primed the powder keg - now it’s up to you to make decisions that actually mitigate the threat of Al Qaeda, not give them even more reason to take-out their hatred on the United States and its allies.

William Cormier