U.S. Demands Pakistan Act Against Militants, Threatens Intervention

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — An ambush of a military convoy that killed 17 troops near the Afghan border Wednesday pushed the death toll in a series of attacks to at least 101 Pakistanis in the past five days — and brought President Pervez Musharraf, according to a local newspaper headline, to a "Moment of Truth."

The Bush administration, after publicly demanding that Musharraf rein in militants linked to al Qaida, on Wednesday threatened to launch attacks into Pakistani territory if it sees fit.

"We certainly do not rule out options, and we retain the option especially of striking actionable targets," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "But it is clearly of the utmost importance to go in there and deal with the problem in the tribal areas."

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But some Pakistanis worry that the military could be stepping into a trap, that to open up a full military assault would only embolden hardcore Islamists in an area famed for supplying the jihadist fighters who helped defeat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan during the 1980s, and who are currently battling U.S. and NATO forces in that same country.



Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/18140.html

MKJ

A Fox host then cited a new report that "al Qaeda ... is running from Iraq, apparently to Pakistan" and asked "did this report come out on purpose so that we will have the right ... to go after Pakistan now?"

Kristol responded, "I think the president's going to have to take military action there over the next few weeks or months. ... Bush has to disrupt that sanctuary."

"I think, frankly, we won't even tell Musharraf," Kirstol continued. "We'll do what we have to do in Western Pakistan and Musharraf can say, 'Hey, they didn't tell me.'"

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http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Neocon_Bill_Kristol_urges_Bush_to_0712.html

the US to attack anyone his ilk dislike, since it better to have someone else's kids die for your objectives than your own kids.

if they send him out to test the water, or get the directions set.

...y'know,lots of subsidies and all, and meanwhile not reeeally insisting they check around for OBL, etc. I'll admit to being naive and not factually-backed-up, but I thought that Pakistan was kinda playing the US. And principally I mean fleecing all of us taxpayers. Am I completely mistaken in this?

But then, wouldn't it be entirely consistent for this regime to treat someone like an ally, pay them a lot, and then demonize and disavow them?

OF COURSE, I excuse no Bush shenanigans. They've so fucked up everything they've touched, and are criminals many times over (and treasonous too, in the larger view.) BushCo has negative credibility, and their ruling-out-options and retaining-the-options is just so much pathetic and destructive quacking. They make me sick, and Tony Snow very much so.

:(