22 killed in US missile strike in N Waziristan

[roadrunner]

"This is my firm belief. When the US army withdraws from Afghanistan, the militancy in Pakistan will drift away."

Then brace yourself and pray that you are wrong because we'll be there for awhile. Can the other 40 nations remain after we leave?

Half of those nations are pulling out when their mandate ends.

Canada has announced this, havent they, as an example?

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/N...title=Canada%20To Pull Out Of Afghanistan

afaik, the Canadians were contributing a lot of troops.

I don't believe the US will be there for as long as you think.

It cannot afford it. The Afghanistan war is costing the US billions, and as more troops are sent in, it'll increase the cost. As the mandates of other countries end, more US troops will be needed etc.

The US is in deep financial trouble. It cannot afford protracted wars.

One day, it'll be announced the US has "made the Taliban realize that we're a peace loving folk, and OBL has suddenly died after falling off a cliff. Al Q is dismantled, and we can go home".

That's it. It'll be as quickly as that. The war will be over.

 

[Kasrkin]

The Durand line has been a long-standing source of dispute. This is not some new phenomena that's arised from the murk after 2001. Your nation's diplomats never held a better opportunity to resolve disposition based upon the ability to work with amenable partners than when the taliban were in power.

Technically the Taliban did not constitute a sovereign government, mostly thanks to the efforts of Ahmed Shah Masud. Barely 3 countries recognized them. And as it were, everyone knows that the present GoA warlords would never feel obliged to recognize, let alone honor any official treaty their Taliban rivals might have had with Pakistan. For all we know Pakistan might have had such an agreement, for all the relevance given to it presently.

 

[S-2]

"And as it were, everyone knows that the present GoA warlords would never feel obliged to recognize, let alone honor any official treaty their Taliban rivals might have had with Pakistan. For all we know Pakistan might have had such an agreement, for all the relevance given to it presently."

We'll never know but every point raised here by you is perfectly feasible. Much would depend upon the actual character of the mythical agreement to determine if such would be honored by the present GoA. Even so, does the relevance extend down to the tribes? Likely not. To them it may always be irrelevant.

 

[Kasrkin]

Much would depend upon the actual character of the mythical agreement to determine if such would be honored by the present GoA.

No it would not. You are confusing the issue. The Northern Alliance would have wanted a clean slate. If they're not inclined to consider an agreement of this nature now with us despite so much diplomatic activity, they would not have been at the initial stages of the Taliban ouster, least of all because the Taliban were. It is completely ridiculous to suggest that their dreams of 'Greater Afghanistan' would disappear because the Taliban of all people gave us a fancy piece of paper.

 

[S-2]

"If they're not inclined to consider an agreement of this nature now with us despite so much diplomatic activity, they would not have been at the initial stages of the Taliban ouster, least of all because the Taliban were."

I don't believe that one automatically must follow from the other. As such, I believe that it's conceivable that the N.A. might be theoretically willing to adhere to a taliban-negotiated agreement were they to consider the terms favorable or generous to Afghanistan.

In the end I speculate as do you on an irrelevant matter from the past that never actually occurred. It would have been interesting had an agreement transpired.

 

[Kasrkin]

It would have been interesting had an agreement transpired.

Like I said, it might have had for all we know. The terms and details of our much lamented understandings with the Taliban are not exactly the most diplomatically showcased in international or bilateral political circles. We don't know if it would have been interesting because we don't know if it transpired, because if it did it's not very interesting or even relevant. And furthermore it is difficult to imagine why it would be. Like I said if the any such inclination did/does exist in the GoA, then it would most probably have materialized already amid all the heighted diplomatic activity (what do Pakistani and Afghan officials talk about presently if not that damned line?) and in light of the fact that there have been significant clashes between GoA and GoP troops over territorial claims on the Durrand.

 

[Omar1984]

Death Toll Rises in Missile Attack in Pakistan
By VOA News
24 January 2009



Pakistani tribesmen indicate damages to house hit by suspected U.S. missile strike in Zharki village, 24 Jan 2009
The death toll from two suspected U.S. missile strikes along the Afghan border in Pakistan is rising.

Pakistani officials say Saturday at least 21 people were killed in the attacks Friday in the country's northwestern tribal regions.

The officials say a suspected U.S. drone (unmanned aircraft) fired three missiles into a house in a village, Zharki, outside Mir Ali, in North Waziristan province.

Local officials say five of those killed were foreign militants. The area is considered a hub for al-Qaida and Taliban activity.

Hours later, a second missile strike hit neighboring South Waziristan.

There have been about 30 similar missile attacks in Pakistan since the middle of last year despite public objections by the Pakistani government. These are the first such strikes since U.S. President Barack Obama took office on Tuesday. The Bush administration refused to confirm or deny responsibility for such strikes.

In an interview with CNN television on Friday, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said public opinion in Pakistan was very much against the missile strikes, but that he expected nothing different from the new U.S. president.

He also said Pakistan should have received more U.S. funding for helping in the war on terror, saying the $10 billion it received from the U.S. was much less than the U.S. has spent in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Also Friday, the Pakistani foreign ministry welcomed Mr. Obama's appointment Thursday of a new special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke.

VOA News - Death Toll Rises in Missile Attack in Pakistan

 

[hasang20]

very sad everyday my Muslims brothers are being killed and retarded Zardari @ the time leading this is the worst scenrio that could happen.

 

[maximus]

Let's be clear- I owe you no obligation to agree with you. Doing so would make me wrong.

I reject your criticism of our performance in 2001. It's irrelevant that the taliban retreated faster than we could attack on horseback with the N.A. If a foreign army invades America, it'll be America's responsibility to deal with the matter as we are the same who must otherwise live with the consequences. Dance all day long but at the end you've an afghan taliban army on your soil because you didn't keep them from crossing your border.

Simple concept really.

Roadrunner,

I see the mining article. This will be interesting to see how it works. I didn't read all of it but I can't imagine that it'll be contigious along the length. Hmmm...

You've just got a meaningless opinion like millions of other self-proclaimed internet warriors. In fact, your meaningless opinion doesn't have one tiny microscopic shred of credibility. That's the sour reality. You act like some official spokesperson of the White House that has got all the answers. The usual Mr. know-it-all attitude. You act like you are witnessing the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan first hand. The bitter reality is that you're none of the aforementioned. Everything that you claim is based on assumptions, speculation or plain lies. That is one thing that's most certain. Just keep on believing in the spicy conspiracy theories of your biased media. It won't do us any harm.

 

[S-2]

Maximus,

Your ad hominem attacks don't change that the defeated afghan taliban army resides on your soil and attacks afghan citizens from FATA and Baluchistan. They either arrived in Pakistan by fighting their way into your nation or by invite of your citizens in FATA.

Either way, there they are and represent the former taliban government of Afghanistan. They certainly aren't Pakistani.

You also permit your own citizens like Nazir to attack Afghanistan from your soil. He has an agreement as such, IIRC.

These are simple facts of history. You can try to argue that we bear a greater responsibility for maintaining the integrity of your borders in 2001-02 but, in the end, it's your citizens and land which is affected-not mine.

The ultimate responsibility to secure Pakistan's border lies with Pakistan and nobody else.

Now you live with the consequences of your choices then.

I'm very sorry for that but it's plain to see.

 

[maximus]

Maximus,

Your ad hominem attacks don't change that the defeated afghan taliban army resides on your soil and attacks afghan citizens from FATA and Baluchistan. They either arrived in Pakistan by fighting their way into your nation or by invite of your citizens in FATA.

Either way, there they are and represent the former taliban government of Afghanistan. They certainly aren't Pakistani.

You also permit your own citizens like Nazir to attack Afghanistan from your soil. He has an agreement as such, IIRC.

These are simple facts of history. You can try to argue that we bear a greater responsibility for maintaining the integrity of your borders in 2001-02 but, in the end, it's your citizens and land which is affected-not mine.

The ultimate responsibility to secure Pakistan's border lies with Pakistan and nobody else.

Now you live with the consequences of your choices then.

I'm very sorry for that but it's plain to see.

Again, just lame fictional assumptions. Stop reading too much science fiction. It's having an effect on your rational thinking. Also, stop acting like the official spokesperson of the White House. You're not an official spokesperson of any kind. You don't have to defend the mistakes and failures of your country and army. I know that they are slaughtering hundreds of thousands for so-called freedom. Oh, I'm very flattered by the free service provided by the US. Look at them sacrificing their precious lives for providing freedom to these coincidental Muslim countries. What a noble cause and that too absolutely free of charge!

 

[S-2]

I confess that, in comparison to you, I FEEL authoritative...

 

[maximus]

I confess that, in comparison to you, I FEEL authoritative...

Yep, delusionally authoritative may I add...

 

[S-2]

There's nothing delusional about my assessment that Pakistan's sovereignty is endangered from within by foreign forces whom your nation acquiesced to allowing entry in 2001-02.

You are now at war with yourselves and these men. They will keep what they've taken and more. I care less whether I irritate you or not. The more salient issue to me here is determining who is an enemy of the Pakistani state and who isn't.

It tells me much about your nation and serves as a broad (but somewhat skewed) barometer of your nation in general.

Thank you for your contribution to this study.

It's been invaluable.

 

[roadrunner]

The insurgency in Afghanistan is primarily an Aghan one, not a Pakistani one.