Our Friend and Ally acts like our friend and ally for a change. "Pak destroys Al-Qaida hubs near Afghan border," from the Times of India, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's army destroyed three suspected Al-Qaida hideouts in an air strike near the Afghan border on Tuesday, killing several militants including foreigners.Military forces carried out the operation with the backing of helicopter gunships in the South Waziristan tribal region after receiving information that 25 to 30 Al-Qaida members were hiding there, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, said.
“We believe most of them were killed, but we don't have a body count,”' he said.
Some terror group members at the sites were foreigners, but “no high-value target was believed to be there,” he said.
The destroyed Al-Qaida hideouts were in an isolated area near the village of Zamzola, which is close to North Waziristan where the government in September signed a controversial peace deal with tribal elders to halt military operations against militants.
In return, local militants and tribal elders at the time promised to not provide shelter to any foreign militants, nor target Pakistani security forces and pro-government elders. However, the government has not signed any such deal in South Waziristan, where the military has carried out scores of operations against Al-Qaida and their local supporters since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.
I trust Pakistan about as much as I trust our other "good friends," the Saudi Arabs.
Was this strike at al qaeda camps confirmed by a third party? (Pakistan is first party, al qaeda is second party.)
Isn't it amazing!! Someone else attacks a terrorist camp and there is no report of "civilians" being killed....
Why do I suspect that before these raids take place advance warning is given?
Right on the money exsgtbrown!
Anyone want to take a bet that nobody at all was killed?
And it happened immediately after recent comments that the Pakis aren't doing enough to stop the scum. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.........
These were probably just rest areas on the terrorist interstate I-911.
"Our Friend and Ally acts like our friend and ally for a change."
Your *cough cough* "friend and ally" acted such because a certain Mr. Negroponte said that pakistan is the "global hub of al qaeda" and there were talks of America striking targets that are in this area. Yesterday there was a very sharp statement from pakistan that "American strikes were unacceptable". So, they carried out a strike, and took out a few baloochees maybe.
As usual, Pakistan does just enough (and nothing more) to make sure that the US dollars and supplies keep coming in.
Nobody is getting the point here: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is in Afghanistan to assess whether Pakistan is supporting the Taliban and al-Qaida. Out of the blue, Pakistan destroys three al-Qaida hideouts. This happens over and over. Every time there is pressure on Pakistan, they "off" a few al-Qaida bad guys. They do this at will. Clearly, Pakistan is making just enough token efforts at combating terrorism to keep on "friendly terms" with the U.S. but without upsetting their cozy relationship with Islamic extremists. We're being duped, and Musharraf is smiling all the way to the bank.
If we continue to buy that Musharraf is our friend then we will deserve whatever we get.
So this story reads South Wackostan was not paying a big enough bribe to Pakistan so they got hit, but only killed the Bill Clinton janitors as a message to pay up or the big boys would be.......not invited to tea and couscous.
Pakistan an ally?...hardly. On the long list of future US military targets?.....certainly.
I agree with arjun here, it is a bare minimum reactionary move to attempt to abate the threat of a US strike against them.
"where the military has carried out scores of operations against Al-Qaida and their local supporters since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States."
........many attacks in 2002,2003, but not much since............
Only fools fall for these staged propaganda "attacks". How come there ARE Al-Queda operatives in the "friend and ally" terrirory, to begin with? But then, Condi sees 'benevolence in the heart of Al-Aqeda. eh Condi?'
Now for some good news: Tom Tancredo running for Presidency, 2008: http://www.teamtancredo.com/
Too bad we can't dna and fingerprint teh dead and check all their papers to see what one of our freindly neighborhoods in the USA, Britain, Canada or Australia they originated from.
Assalamau Laikum all,
As you can see Pak is an excellent ally to the war on terrorism and particularly to the Amerike. However you peoples must remember this asymmetric partnership cannot continue with only the Amerike getting something out of it.
The Amerike must show succour too...by for example opening up visa enteries from key Pak cities especially Karachi, Islamabad and my city Lahore.
Then I think we can get along even better.
Salami & Bacon all,
As you can see Pak is a duplicitous enemy in the war on terrorism and particularly against the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. However you peopls must remember this asymmetric partnership cannot continue with only the Stankistan getting something out of it.
The Nazistanis must show succour too... by for example opening up access to US SPECIAL FORCES to key Pak terror hotspots especially Karachi, Islamabad and Nazeem's city Lahore.
Without Pakistan I think we can get along even better.
Posted by: ANTI-alla [p*** be upon it]
Naseem!
Why am I not surprised. The minute Pakistan does the right thing, you want a favor. Grow up Naseem!
....let me rephrase that...
You "E X P E C T" a favor.
Please!
That way, instead of fighting their Mussalman abujans in al Qaeda, the Pakistanis can rest easy, and either watch al Qaeda get eviscerated, or join them in the trip to meet their houris.
Ha Ha Ha -- smashing idea!
'No body-count' means either there are no bodies or they are too dumb to count...
Which one do you think it is?
and what exactly is an Al-Qaeda hub????
"with only the Amerike getting something out of it."
How about the country of Pakistan actually becoming a nation of free thinking people without the fear death hanging on them for everything they do? How about freedom for young girls to go to school without their teachers being slaughtered? How about allowing the people of Pakistan actually joining the 21st century?
There is nothing in Pakistan that would interest Americans. Americans wish only for people to be free of oppression. Islam is an oppressive entity. When Islam is pushed to its extremes, it simply becomes a killing machine. America strives to save lives and ensure a more prosperous future for the people of Pakistan, Islam seeks to enslave and dominate every thought,every action, and every function of life it can drain from its people.
Islam is drowning in its own ignorance. Its consistant violent behaviour ensures its eventual demise. It will take time , but it is happening....
Convert now to Christianity while you can...and quit suffering from chrisrtianaphobia...
and another unreported success:
"Last week, troops from NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan National Army killed as many as 150 insurgents along the mountainous border with Pakistan, NATO officials reported"
The Muslim insurgents are loosing.....
"The Amerike must show succour too...by for example opening up visa enteries from key Pak cities especially Karachi, Islamabad and my city Lahore."
I do believe islamabad and lahore were on my list. But I forget if I included karachi halwa.
What is so tragic about all of this is that genetically many Pakistanis are the same as Hindu Indians. I work with many Indians on a daily basis and they are good people. I know the Muslim Pakis could have been the same. It's simply the ideas in their heads that have condemned them to the future. I look at Musharaff and listen to him... he's very similar to some quality Indian project managers who I respect and like as people. Too bad. Islam condemns him to a bad future.
Pakistan will go down in this fight; of that I have no doubt. It will not be left alone when this war goes 'legit'. I know from personal experience with the Hindu cousins of these Pakis that it will be a tremendous waste of human potential. It's a damned shame.
What is so tragic about all of this is that genetically many Pakistanis are the same as Hindu Indians. I work with many Indians on a daily basis and they are good people.
Pakistan will go down in this fight; of that I have no doubt.
Posted by: A_Plague_on_Both_Houses at January
17, 2007 11:58 AM
Interesting observations, A_Plague_on_Both_Houses. And absolutely correct, if I may add. After all, sixty years back, both Pakistanis and Indians were citizens of one and the same nation. Both stood side-by-side to resist British imperilism. Mahatma Gandhi considered Hindus and Muslims the 'two eyes of India'. He was broken by the partition. The independence he fought for, abiding by Satya (Truth), Ahinsa (non-violence) and Prem (Love) was undone and more, by the ugly partition of India. Had there been no partition, muslims would have progressed in Indian democracy, enjoying equal rights and freedom to practice their religion, however henious it is, unfettered. But more importantly the seeds of bloody Jihad would not have been sown. There would not have been A Q Khan, nor Hamid Gul, Nor Khalid Sheikh Muhommed, nor LeT, nor HuM, nor a safe haven for blood thirsty barbarians like Osama or Zawahiri.
If only Gandhi would have prevailed.
Coming back to your point. No, take away the murderous and blood-thirsty Islamic ideology, and there isn't much difference betweem Pakistanis and Indians.
The double standards of the pkaistani claim on its help to erdaicate terrorism is evident.
Musharraf claims to have the best army and intelligence agency in South asia, but still is unsuccesful in destroying terorists.
Then IS it lack of will to really destroy them and secretly support for them that even 4 years later no substantial progress has been made.Isnt that double standard?
And if the army is incompetent why not allow coalition forces to go in.
The answer is simple.
They killed a few balocches and branded them as terorist because the world pressure was building up,
Now for next few months they will give help to real terorists and then again kill few innoncent people to show world they are helping in fight against terrorism.
You could tell this was coming. As the two main military players in Afghanistan, the US and Canada have obviously been putting pressure on Pakistan to do something. I don't know if this made any news in the US, but our Foreign Affairs minister, Peter McKay, was in Afghanistan and Pakistan just the other week and really had some harsh words for Musharraf. When you see stuff like that going on, you know something's going to happen in response.
Problem is, this was probably just a one-off op to get the Americans and Canadians to stop bitching for a little while. This always happens when the heat gets turned up. The Pakistanis make some token attack to prove that they're the good guys, honest! Then everything goes back to normal.
Naseem -- thanks for the invitation -- that was really nice of you. Take care!
"Interesting observations, A_Plague_on_Both_Houses. And absolutely correct, if I may add. After all, sixty years back, both Pakistanis and Indians were citizens of one and the same nation. Both stood side-by-side to resist British imperilism. Mahatma Gandhi considered Hindus and Muslims the 'two eyes of India'. He was broken by the partition. The independence he fought for, abiding by Satya (Truth), Ahinsa (non-violence) and Prem (Love) was undone and more, by the ugly partition of India. Had there been no partition, muslims would have progressed in Indian democracy, enjoying equal rights and freedom to practice their religion, however henious it is, unfettered. But more importantly the seeds of bloody Jihad would not have been sown. There would not have been A Q Khan, nor Hamid Gul, Nor Khalid Sheikh Muhommed, nor LeT, nor HuM, nor a safe haven for blood thirsty barbarians like Osama or Zawahiri.
If only Gandhi would have prevailed."
You seem to be more concerned with the well being of gandhi than the 1.5 million innocents who were butchered during the partition. More than once you have posted some quotes from "the great gandhi". This evil old man preached non violence to whom ? To Hindus who cannot be described as violent by any stretch of the imagination. Or was he telling them to lie down and take it easy while muslims killed all of them ? Do you know he allowed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrashekhar Azad to hang (he could have stopped the hangings) simply because he thought they "were violent". Don't you feel something for these patriots, the millions killed by muslims in 1947 ? Is the broken heart of a man kicked out of a train in South Africa by the Brits above all these people ?