Pakistan is now the central front in America's war on terror

Pakistan is now the central front in America's war on terror

www.mcclatchydc.com

The assessments raise new questions about the wisdom of President Bush's decision to invade Iraq before American-led forces had defeated al Qaida in Afghanistan. Speaking Friday in Germany, Defense Secretary Robert Gates also conceded that European nations critical of the Bush administration's policy in Iraq are reluctant to support its efforts to secure Afghanistan.

Pakistan's government is newly aware of the threats, but despite billions of dollars in U.S. aid, its army remains unable to conduct the sophisticated counter-insurgency campaign that Washington wants, the officials said.

"Pakistan's capacity to do some of the things we both would like to see happen in the tribal area is limited," CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden told the Senate Intelligence Committee this week.

Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began a two-day visit to Pakistan on Friday, and was expected to discuss additional American assistance to Pakistan.

The Bush administration is expected to offer the Pakistani military more counter-insurgency training. Islamabad rejects overt U.S. military involvement for fear that it would trigger a massive backlash against the government from a population that's already brimming with anti-American sentiment.

(visit the link for the full news article)

As predicted in several posts on ATS threads.

You think USA resources are stretched thin now.



www.mcclatchydc.com
(visit the link for the full news article)