The US & others working with Pakistan

[davidbfpo]

This CSIS powerpoint is useful, particularly the details on drug production.

davidbfpo

[Norfolk]

MISNA is reporting today that the Pakistani government is seeking a ceasefire with the Taleban and the local tribes in South Waziristan prior to elections:

The Pakistani government has begun negotiations with the Taliban and allied tribal elders ahead of the crucial February 28 legislative elections, drawing criticism from both the opposition and United States.

A little more at the link.

[davidbfpo]

Under the headline 'Tensions rise....' the UK Daily Telegraph reports: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...bing-raid.html

I know other websites have commented upon events in Pakistan recently, I cannot recall much on SWC.

davidbfpo

[Jedburgh]

Under the headline 'Tensions rise....' the UK Daily Telegraph reports: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...bing-raid.html

I know other websites have commented upon events in Pakistan recently, I cannot recall much on SWC.

davidbfpo

There has been some very interesting reporting in regards to the incident reported in linked article, which is very different from the statement, The Afghans were persuaded to return "amicably"..... I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the story.

[davidbfpo]

A different account, with more details after what appears to be a press briefing by the US command: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/...tMb9NlKkys0NUE

I draw attention to this part of the story and my italics: 'The Pentagon did not rule out the possibility that friendly forces were killed, but officials did not discount the idea that paramilitary fighters may have attacked coalition troops. The Pakistani army said the coalition strike hit a post of the paramilitary Frontier Corps and was a "completely unprovoked and cowardly act."

Note it was suggested in '07 that the USA provide training and support to the Frontier Corps, a locally recruited para-military force.

Different sources and background: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv...oops_clash.php

davidbfpo

[Rank amateur]

Video has been released. There is a bomb explosion off camera, so I guess the video doesn't answer all the questions. It does make me wonder if the Pakistan Army was shooting at the good guys.

[Ken White]

Video has been released. There is a bomb explosion off camera, so I guess the video doesn't answer all the questions. It does make me wonder if the Pakistan Army was shooting at the good guys.

who has a head wound and a son who got a merit badge that says emphatically that the Waziris and Pushtuns in the Frontier Force on the south side of the border are far more in tune with their friends and neighbors than they are with Islamabad...

Happens a lot.

Thus our message that it needs to stop. Because we won't stop, and should not, even though we're trying to fix it through 'diplomacy' (whatever that is...). Our patience with probes from the ME for 22 years only encouraged more. We don't need to repeat that mistake.