Pakistan bid to stop Taleban push

Pakistan bid to stop Taleban push

news.bbc.co.uk

The Pakistan government has sent troops to tackle Taleban militants who have advanced into a region just 100km (67 miles) from the capital, Islamabad.

Officials say the forces will protect government buildings in Buner district, where insurgents have begun patrolling the streets and mounting checkpoints.

As the troops moved into the region, insurgents launched an attack on their convoy, killing at least one soldier.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well what I'm getting from reading this report is that the Pakistani Government sounds like it's on the verge of some sort of major crises. A reinforcing unit was attacked when it tried to reinstate it's control over their own territory. Sounds bad to me.

It goes on to quote Hillary

"US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier said the insurgency posed a "mortal threat" to world security.

Speaking to a Congress committee, Mrs Clinton said the Pakistani government was "basically abdicating to the Taleban and the extremists".

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 23-4-2009 by SLAYER69]

Hey Slayer, Do you think all of this talk about Talibans causing havoc in Pakistan may just be a ruse in order for Pakistan to ask for US military assistance? Therefore, giving the US legality in their hunt for Al-qaeda in Pakistan.

reply to post by jam321


You know I'm on the fence on this one. I was thinking the same thing.
It could very well be just a ploy. But if we were wrong? I'm wondering about the nukes.

Guess I just find it hard to believe that most nations aren't too concerned about this and don't seem to be trying to help Pakistan defeat the Taliban.

You would think that many nations would be concerned about nukes falling in the wrong hands.

reply to post by jam321


If it's legit you would think people would be scared about a nuke disappearing then showing up in Beijing, Moscow, London or any city take your pick.

I wonder if the US has any serious contingency plans to seize control of the nukes if and when it happens?

No more comments now that is a conspiracy.

reply to post by jam321


When this story first broke, that was the first thing to cross my mind.

One would think that NATO at the very least would be very concerned about the Taliban possibly toppling the Pakistani Government and getting their hands on nukes. I mean, we are fighting a war against them right next door and all.

This all seems very suspicious to me.

reply to post by SLAYER69


Good find, SLAYER!

But once again the mighty Hillary is full of baloney:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier said the insurgency posed a "mortal threat" to world security.

Pure political bantery. Apparently she wants the world to soften and let our great leader, Barack, take command and send in our forces to wipe out the evil enemy.

However, it's spring and the Taleban is puffing up its chest and flexing its muscles as that's about all there is left for them to do. They've been effectively defeated and forced out of Iraque and Afganistan.

In the larger picture the Taleban is marginalized if not beaten. Northern Pakistan is their last stronghold mostly because Pakistan doesn't have the political guts to allow our surveilance and military assistance to wipe out them out completely but it appears it may come to that. The Taleban has to be very careful not to attract too much attention like they did in other places or they will be toast.

To the US the Taliban are like flys. An annoyance that needs to be kept under control but can't be effectively eliminated.

reply to post by plumranch


Well I'm not sure if they are really beaten

Islamic insurgents advance closer to Pakistani capital

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Islamic extremists killed a paramilitary officer, set up checkpoints and ransacked homes Thursday as they enforced their control over a district 60 miles from Pakistan's capital, while other reports said they were infiltrating districts even closer to Islamabad.

The White House called the growing crisis in the nuclear-armed South Asian nation "deeply disturbing," and several key U.S. lawmakers told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the Obama administration's new $7.5 billion plan to help stabilize Pakistan could be doomed by the failure of its government and military to battle the insurgents.

[edit on 23-4-2009 by SLAYER69]

Id like to know just where the nukes are.
I mean, if your 100km from the capital, youve already taken some land.
Nukes wouldnt be stored in the capital.

What happens if the Pakistani government is pushed back?
Will they ask for more and more US Drone strikes to assist?

I never thought it would really head this way/end like this [for Pakistan] so fast.. I was reading before about Swat Valley and the Northern Areas [FANA] and then i realized how close Islamabad was![all the way up in the North]... meanwhile NATO is releasing Pirates on high seas so they can jack other vessels and my government was almost in crisis because of buying the JSF... but hey! all quiet on the eastern front

Its ridiculous if you look at the size of NATO, how many hundreds of million people live in the NATO area and still not able to control Afghanistan or anticipate on this, imo the biggest threat of this century so far...
I wouldn't know where the nukes are but i guess the keys and launch codes lay in some desk up in Islamabad...

[edit on 23-4-2009 by Foppezao]

found this to be interesting

The Taliban’s activities conform to the conventional definition of insurgency warfare: an organized rebellion aimed at dismantling a government through the use of subversive tactics and armed conflict. “Their strategy is to inflict as much damage as possible upon the Pakistani troops and the establishment,” Hoodbhoy said. Numerous suicide bombings in Pakistani cities have rattled civilians as well as military personnel. Many Pakistani soldiers have surrendered rather than face the Taliban in combat. The Taliban have also exploited divisions between their allied opponents: the US, India, Afghanistan, and the Pakistani government. The July 7 suicide bombing at the Indian embassy in Kabul raised suspicions in Afghanistan and India that Pakistan was behind the attack, disrupting diplomatic relations between all three countries.

www.mideasti.org...

Explains how the Taliban are taking over but doesn't explain why the world isn't alarmed by what is happening.

Well this really isn't a "Surprise" of sorts the Taliban for the past few years has been mainly made up of Pakistanis.

I think the US would step in way before that would ever happened. That's way too dangerous of a scenario with the India situation.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Well this really isn't a "Surprise" of sorts the Taliban for the past few years has been mainly made up of Pakistanis.

I think the US would step in way before that would ever happened. That's way too dangerous of a scenario with the India situation.

That's another thing, where is India? maybe the Taliban is going to capitalize on the [Indian] elections while India is caught off guard, and head for Islamabad.
Is it true the morale in the Pakistani army is so low they just surrender in some areas?

[edit on 23-4-2009 by Foppezao]

reply to post by Foppezao


Well I would think that NATO would be seriously considering some sort of intervention.

If you read between the lines you will see that the Taliban is now in possesion of nukes and is only a matter of time before they are used on the US, UK or Australia.
Give it a month or 2 before they can say how they where smuggled in by ship and detonated.

reply to post by munkey66


That is exactly what might happen. Nobody paid any attention and then BAM>:

[edit on 24-4-2009 by SLAYER69]

Old news about Pakistan missiles but so you know


Thank god they cannot hit Europe, but they can hit Israel...

Originally posted by plumranch
reply to post by SLAYER69

 

Good find, SLAYER!

But once again the mighty Hillary is full of baloney:

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earlier said the insurgency posed a "mortal threat" to world security.

Pure political bantery. Apparently she wants the world to soften and let our great leader, Barack, take command and send in our forces to wipe out the evil enemy.

However, it's spring and the Taleban is puffing up its chest and flexing its muscles as that's about all there is left for them to do. They've been effectively defeated and forced out of Iraque and Afganistan.

In the larger picture the Taleban is marginalized if not beaten. Northern Pakistan is their last stronghold mostly because Pakistan doesn't have the political guts to allow our surveilance and military assistance to wipe out them out completely but it appears it may come to that. The Taleban has to be very careful not to attract too much attention like they did in other places or they will be toast.

To the US the Taliban are like flys. An annoyance that needs to be kept under control but can't be effectively eliminated.

No such thing as Taleban in Iraq - even if there were I think you will find it is the US who are doing the withdrawing. Welcome to Persia.