US will forget Vietnam if it attacks 'FATA'

[53fd]

I think US could not prove that ISI had the hand in the OBL cookie jar beyond doubt. The noise this time is totally different. Seems that they have some evidence of Kayani's and Pasha's naughtiness. One thing is sure, over the next days there will be action against Haqqanis. Remains to be seen who hangs around them to join the fun. So talking about having weathered the storm is I think ignorant. With OBL Pakistan was just served with the connsume.

There is no evidence, it is quite evident reading from the news reports coming out. Mullen's frustrations boiled over & got the better of him, & the Pentagon has refuted part of his allegations.

 

[Don Jaguar]

Senior Republican US senator says US may go beyond drone strikes, did not advocate sending US troops into Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

ISLAMABAD/ WASHINGTON: Support is growing in the US Congress for expanding American military action in Pakistan beyond drone strikes already used to target militants in Pakistani territory, a senior Republican US senator says.

The comments by Senator Lindsey Graham, an influential Republican voice on foreign policy and military affairs, follow remarks by the top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, accusing Pakistan last week of supporting the militant Haqqani network’s September 13 attack on the US Embassy in Kabul.

(Read more: I have been Pakistan’s best friend, says Mullen)

With growing calls for a tougher stance on militants accused of such high-profile attacks, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that Washington was closer to deciding whether to label the Haqqanis a terrorist group.

The United States has long pressed Pakistan to pursue the Haqqani network, one of the most lethal Taliban-allied Afghan groups fighting Western forces in Afghanistan.

The Pakistan-based Haqqani network has been in the spotlight since US officials accused it of mounting this month’s attack on the US Embassy in Kabul with the support of Pakistan’s powerful military spy agency.

Graham said in an interview on Tuesday that US lawmakers might support military options beyond drone strikes that have been going on for years inside Pakistani territory.

Those options may include using US bomber planes within Pakistan. The South Carolina Republican said he did not advocate sending US ground troops into Pakistan.

“I would say when it comes to defending American troops, you don’t want to limit yourself,” Graham said. “This is not a boots-on-the-ground engagement — I’m not talking about that, but we have a lot of assets beyond drones.

“A perfect world … would be Afghan, Pakistan and (US and NATO) coalition forces working jointly on both sides of border to deny safe havens, inside of Afghanistan and on the other side,” in Pakistan’s western tribal regions from which the Haqqani network and other militants are believed to operate, Graham said.

Graham said US lawmakers will think about stepping up the military pressure. “If people believe it’s gotten to the point that that is the only way really to protect our interests, I think there would be a lot of support,” he said.

Safe haven?

The Haqqani network is allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban and is believed to have close links to al Qaeda. It fights US and NATO forces in eastern Afghanistan, operating out of bases in Pakistan’s North Waziristan.

“We are in the final, formal review that has to be undertaken to make a government-wide decision to designate the network as a foreign terrorist organization,” Clinton said in an appearance with Egypt’s visiting foreign minister.

Clinton said Washington already had placed a number of leaders of the Haqqani network on its terrorism blacklist. “We’re going to continue to struggle against terrorism and in particular against those who have taken up safe havens inside Pakistan, and we’re going to continue to work with our Pakistani counterparts to try and root them out,” she said.

A move to name the Haqqanis as a terrorist group would bar US citizens from providing support to the group and freeze any assets it might have in the United States — a symbolic step that might relieve some of the mounting US political pressure to take a harder line with Pakistan.

Pakistan denies it supports the Haqqanis and says its army is too busy battling its own Taliban insurgency to go after the network, which is estimated to have 10,000 to 15,000 fighters. Some analysts have speculated that the State Department has not yet taken that formal step in hopes the Haqqanis could be reconciled as part of Afghan peace talks between the government and insurgents.

Any such talks now seem unlikely at best. US drone aircraft in recent years have targeted mostly al Qaeda figures rather than Haqqani militants. Increased US military action on Pakistani soil, including the idea of US soldiers crossing the porous border from Afghanistan, would be deeply unpopular in Pakistan. Pakistan viewed the US military raid in May that killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden as a grievous breach of its sovereignty.

The tense ties between Pakistan and the United States worsened last week after Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the Haqqani network as a “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s ISI spy agency.

Graham, known as a hawk, said on Sunday that the United States must consider all options “including defending our troops” in confronting Pakistani support for militant networks active in Afghanistan.

Such remarks from the US Congress, where patience has worn thin with Pakistan, have intensified speculation that the United States might resort to another cross-border raid such as the one that killed bin Laden, intensify drone attacks in Pakistan’s lawless tribal regions or send in bomber planes to attack militant hide-outs.

Lawmakers are proposing to restrict US aid with stricter conditions under which Pakistan, which possesses nuclear arms but is desperately poor, can access US military and economic assistance. The unusually public criticism from Washington has provoked anger among Pakistani leaders who warn that the United States may lose a key ally in an unstable region.

More US military action in Pakistan possible: Graham – The Express Tribune

 

[blackops]

i doubt it it will take a lot of resources to do so there economy isnt doing well enough to support troops half an earth away they have anounced there pull out from afghanistan and it may back fire as the common american public ,may not like it

 

[SpArK]

We love you. we love you not.. we love you.. we love you not.. we love you.. we love you not...

 

[Jango]

I think US could not prove that ISI had the hand in the OBL cookie jar beyond doubt. The noise this time is totally different. Seems that they have some evidence of Kayani's and Pasha's naughtiness. One thing is sure, over the next days there will be action against Haqqanis. Remains to be seen who hangs around them to join the fun. So talking about having weathered the storm is I think ignorant. With OBL Pakistan was just served with the connsume.

What kind of evidence mate. Lets see some points that come into my mind.

1- How the heck can 4000 ragtags Haqqanis trouble 100,000+ ISAF forces in Afghanistan?

2- Why would Pakistan send in these guys or ISI for attacking the US embassy? What is the motive?

3- It is only 5 miles from NW to ****** border, but 250 miles from there to Kabul, the US and all the other agencies did not catch them going through 250 miles of Afghan territory?

The US has repeatedly said that it will do this and that, bomb Pakistan and blah blah blah. But hey, nothing happened. As for the sanctions, nothing is going to happen until the US pulls out of Afghanistan. It cannot afford to have it's supply lines cut. So, no war is going to happen. No sanctions, all diplomatic talk, intended to see if the Pakistani leadership faulters, and I must say, it has not.

 

[Jango]

yeah right. I will make sure you get the famous Peshawari kababs as well!

 

[genmirajborgza786]

this is quite dangerous , at the moment it looks like neither adm.mike Mullen,leon panetta & gen.petraeus vis-vis gen.kayani & intel chief shujah pasha are ready to compromise, hope cooler head's prevails

 

[Jango]

S**t me not.... The day GOP declares a jihad against U.S. , you will be seeing so many nuclear ICBMs fired that will be difficult to count by any means... And your country will be turned into a radio active waste land for 100s of coming years... This is IF GOP DECLARES JIHAD AGAINST U.S. ... Not that its gonna happen... Thankfully GOP and its ARMY have better brains then you do...!!!

Well, now that you are contemplating a nuke war, dont forget that the Nuclear radiation will also get to India, Afghanistan and CAS as well. In addition to that, Pakistan might do some of it's own against Israel.

But none is going to happen. Only a war of words.

 

[OrionHunter]

Graham, known as a hawk, said on Sunday that the United States must consider all options. The United States might resort to another cross-border raid such as the one that killed bin Laden, intensify drone attacks in Pakistan’s lawless tribal regions or send in bomber planes to attack militant hide-outs.

Send in bomber planes to bomb the crap out of the militants? Ok, so how about collateral damage when hundreds of innocent men, women and children could be killed and maimed by this bombing? Oh never mind. For the Yanks this is just small change.
Just statistics.

They've gotten used to this, like 60,000 innocent men women and children killed in Iraq within the first 48 hours of Operation Shock and Awe! They've grown such thick hides it would put a crocodile to shame! The truth is that for the Americans, it's 'awe'. For the rest it's 'shock'! In other words, they don't care! All this on the pretext of 'national security interest'.

But fortunately, the US of A lacks the wherewithal and the capability for a ground offensive into Pakistan from Afghanistan. The lines of communication are tenuous at best and deployability of supporting weapon systems would be almost impossible over the mountainous terrain obtaining in the AFPAK region. And of course the GIs are a tired lot! And their economy is going down South faster than a roller coaster in free fall!

But beware of those Daisy Cutters dropped from high above!

 

[dearone4u_22]

We love you. we love you not.. we love you.. we love you not.. we love you.. we love you not...

On topic : On thier Economy Weakness, Euro problem Will keep Dollar strong ,Being world currency US can print as much as dollar they want specially if US Congress declare war ... And by past history during war dollar weakens . US itself wants a weak dollar .War could provide this platform
IF pakistani military responds to drone attack by attacking US troops in afghanistan head on (and not by taliban and haqqani route ) It will give US a chance to declare a full pledged war

 

[Dr. NooB NinjA]

Well, now that you are contemplating a nuke war, dont forget that the Nuclear radiation will also get to India, Afghanistan and CAS as well. In addition to that, Pakistan might do some of it's own against Israel.

But none is going to happen. Only a war of words.

.... Now where the F**k did India come into the picture from ??!! I jus replied to the post where some1 was contemplating declaring jihad against U.S. ....!! They will really blow the daylights out of Pakistan... And they would not give a rats a$$ about what Pakistan might do to Israel or whatever happens with the radioactivity in India..!!!

---------- Post added at 12:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:46 PM ----------

^^^ And as I also mentioned in my previous post.. Nothins gonna happen cuz there are still sane ppl in GOP and its ARMY...!!!

 

[MilSpec]

Well, now that you are contemplating a nuke war, dont forget that the Nuclear radiation will also get to India, Afghanistan and CAS as well. In addition to that, Pakistan might do some of it's own against Israel.

But none is going to happen. Only a war of words.

Large scale attack on pakistan will be a big mistake.. there will be to much losses to Nato forces, rather Nato/US should maintain diplomatic stranglehold on Pakistani government and increase the frequency of Drone attacks 10 folds. Larger unilateral losses will force Pakistani establishment to comply. I am pretty sure Pakistan will not want to directly confront coalition forces and the all weather friend is no were in sight. it's time to increase the pressure and the backdrop is perfect.

India needs to ensure that it doesn't escalate any tension on its western border and let US/Nato do the damage.

 

[Luftwaffe]

1) America can't afford to open another front.
2) If they do make this mistake, this region will become the graveyard of one more super power.

Topic addressed, situation resolved, off to dinner!

Correction! The Region has become a graveyard of one more super power.

US has lost The Afghanistan Front. Just look at the achievements of US in Afghanistan, absolutely ZERO.

The insanity had them dragged to the 11th year of War. Had they invited and sit with All factions discuss a power sharing government had it been installed and de-weaponsized them around 2003-2005 by now US would have Exit as a triumph force.

Logic tell another war or conflict appropriately is completely off the charts, they have operated in Iraq and Afghanistan and immensely bankrupted US or invited economic depressions twice upon them, engaging with Pakistan would make them dedicate a considerable amount exceeding the spending against Pakistan, would Euro zone support such a War hardly Euro is hit my US policies do they want more I believe not. On diplomatic foot they have a sir say with US only.

 

[Hellfire]

A very sane thought, if only more people could have the same kind of thinking. The irony is that when it comes to China, Indians always tells us how we could be stronger together and china is just using us against each other but somehow they forget to mention the same when it comes to the US and are actually favoring such an out come.

Actually we do not favor US attacking Pakistan. Mainly because of the resulting chaos in Pakistan will weaken the control of PA over the elements which are anti-India to core. This will lead to a greater unpredictability of these elements for India. At least with some sembelance of control over LeT, JeM and HM by PA (read ISI0 there is a predictability in activities of these elements. This control will ensure the number of cadres in these outfits do not increase and the level of violence perpetuated by them in Kashmir valley is to minimal.

We do not have any gains from a US invasion of Pakistan.

 

[kursed]

The US is losing in Afghanistan because they're trying to control the 'land' in Afghanistan and because they wasted 5 years of the last 10 in Iraq (a needless war). If they'd concentrated manpower and money in Afghanistan, the results would have been a lot different.

All said and done, the first rule of war is to play by your strengths and your enemy's weaknesses. So if jingos here actually believe that US will play to its weakness and enter into a land-war with Pakistan, I highly doubt their analysis of the situation. It will never turn into a shooting war between the two nations.

OTOH, I expect an increase in drone strikes for now and spec ops incursions in the near future.