Extremists entering Pak from Afghanistan: US General

[Patriot]

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen said on Thursday he was concerned that the US troop build up to roust insurgents from Afghanistan could further destabilize Pakistan.

However speaking to the Foreign Relations Committee, Mullen said the military planning was under way to try to avoid that.

Mullen said he believed the upcoming increase of 21,000 US forces in Afghanistan “is about right” for the new strategy of trying to quell the insurgency and speed up training of Afghan security forces.

He was responding to Senator Russ Feingold, a Democrat who said he was concerned the build up might push the militants into the already troubled Pakistani regions and “end up further destabilizing Pakistan without providing substantial lasting” improvement in Afghanistan.

“I share your concern,” Mullen said. “Your point about insurgents going particularly into Balochistan, but particularly across that border ... we all share the concern for that,” Mullen said.

“Where I’m comfortable is at least planning for it and having some expectation will allow us to address that,” Mullen said. Officials were working to avoid it, and he thought they could, Mullen said, adding: “Pakistan is further away from being totally destabilized than a lot of people realize.” Besides that, Mullen said he did not know of “any other way to provide for the security” needed in Afghanistan outside of sending more troops.

U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman said that Al Qaeda and Taliban coordination has intensified and Al Qaeda Headquarters was now in Pakistan. He said Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals were safe, as Pakistan’s political and military leaderships were sincere in its protection.

He stressed on strengthening Pakistan’s security situation in a bid to raise civil infrastructure. He said that assistance to Pakistan army in its war against terrorism would be provided and frontier corps capability would also have to be increased.

 

[Patriot]

In other words, US wants to stabilize Afghanistan by destablizing Pakistan.Wow, what a great ******* stragety.

 

[Lockheed F-16]

Extremists entering Pakistan from Afghanistan: US general

Updated at: 0652 PST, Saturday, May 23, 2009
KABUL: The top US commander in Eastern Afghanistan Major General Geoffrey has warned on Friday that the extremists are making their ways easily into Pakistan from Afghanistan.

US Major General Geoffrey has hinted at the possible entry of militants into Pakistan through Malakand Division, bordering Afghanistan, to resist Pakistan military’s offensive against militancy.

“The surge in the number of US troops in Afghanistan could become major cause for terrorists to enter Pakistan”, general remarked while he was also worried about likely movement of Taliban militants towards South of Afghanistan.

Pakistani arm forces are also very much aware of the fact that terrorists could move to other parts of Afghanistan from Southern areas due to additional pressure exerted on them from US troops, he added.

 

[Ratus Ratus]

Brilliant deduction!
What a brainer!!!

I would also suspect that neither ANA, US, ISFA or PA are going to do a single thing to stop this movement of militants.

Sh1t!!
This would mean cooperation, trust and even thinking on a collective military operation.

Nope not ever going to happen!
Too much ingrained pathetic mistrust and it is all self inflicted by everyone.

 

[forcetrip]

Very true .. The US army could take this opportunity and back the PA fully to crush them from 2 sides .. I just hope they put their collective differences aside just this once ..

 

[Lockheed F-16]

WASHINGTON: Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, has warned that the surge of 21,000 additional US troops into Afghanistan could bring new militants to Pakistan from the neighbouring country.

'We can't deny that our success in that regard may only push them deeper into Pakistan,' said the US military chief while discuss the impact of Washington’s new Afghan policy on Islamabad.

'Pakistan faces many complex challenges, perceived threats from the north and east, the very real threat of insurgency from within and the growing risks of poverty and illiteracy unchecked,' a transcript released during the weekend quoted the admiral as saying. 'Yet our ongoing engagement with Pakistan is yielding and will continue to yield promise.'

The admiral said the Obama administration had no option but to push the Taliban harder in Afghanistan despite the possible negative impact of such a drive on Pakistan.

'They want Afghanistan back,' he said. 'We can't let them or their al-Qaeda cohorts have it. We can't permit the return of the very same safe havens from which the attacks on 9/11 were planned and resourced.'

The admiral said that the Taliban might not be some monolithic or homogenous body in makeup or ideology, but they did have governing ambitions. 'It's not just about instilling fear or spreading violence. They want Afghanistan back.'

Admiral Mullen said that while the US was deeply engaged with Pakistan, providing both military and financial support to Islamabad in its efforts to uproot the Taliban, it faced certain drawbacks as well.

'We still recover from almost 12 years of silence during which the Pressler Amendment was enforced. Our military relationships, which often have been national relations, have, in many ways, started anew.'

The admiral said he valued the relationship he had with the Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani, cultivating it over the past year and a half, but it was important for other US officials to have similar relations with their Pakistani counterparts.

'That kind of relationship is slowly being replicated down our respective military chains and in our war colleges. In all this, there is opportunity now for both sides,' he noted with satisfaction.

'The ancient martial history that is Pakistan's is a proud one, indeed, going back to the days of Alexander the Great and Pakistanis are just as proud today,' he said.

'We focus a lot of our attention on their conventional and even nuclear capabilities, but they are working to expand their counterinsurgency capability as well.'

He said that a few weeks ago, General Kiyani took him into the field to visit two division-based counterinsurgency exercises for two of their battalions. 'It was impressive, both in scope and complexity, but clearly, they have more work to do,' he added.

Meanwhile, a senior US military official told reporters in Washington on Friday afternoon that the next 12 to 18 months were critical to the success of America’s new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy.

In an off the record briefing, which does not allow journalists to identify the briefer, the official said the Obama administration will also continue its predecessor’s reliance on Predator drones and other unmanned vehicles for targeting militants hideouts in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The official conceded that the attacks enraged both countries but said the US military liked drones because they were 'effective, relatively cheap and keep pilots out of danger.'

The official noted that President Obama had retained two senior Bush aides, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicating that at least some policies of the previous administration will also be followed.

 

[muse]

In this piece Adm. Mullen seems to be conceding that Pakistan face a challenge from the "East", among others - I hope Indian readers will not have missed this.

You can be rest assured that neglect will best serve that particular U.S understanding - anyways, there will be another uniformed office or anonymous source who will be saying something quite different tomorrow.

 

[S-2]

Just for the record, the good general's last name is Schlosser.

 

[S-2]

"In this piece Adm. Mullen seems to be conceding that Pakistan face a challenge from the "East", among others - I hope Indian readers will not have missed this..."

I note a difference in his comment that you don't. I hope Pakistani readers will note such as well.

"...perceived threats from the north and east, the very real threat of insurgency from within..."

There is a distinction drawn between "perceived" and "very real" in Adm. Mullen's comments.

As to Schlosser's comments, much ado about nothing to include nothing said about "easily".

"The top US commander in Eastern Afghanistan Major General Geoffrey has warned on Friday that the extremists are making their ways easily into Pakistan from Afghanistan."

Those, of course, who march to Afghanistan from sanctuary in Pakistan naturally return to SANCTUARY.

That's why they call it such.

What's changed? Nothing except that when sanctuary becomes the battlefield or is threatened as the P.A. operations such it someday might, the militants will seek to secure their foundation-sanctuary-at all costs.

American forces make no distinction in killing militants heading east or west once inside Afghanistan. Your army's forces shall not either once you begin to man these reaches in force. Until then, we'll continue to kill as many of these militants returning to sanctuary in Pakistan as we're able.

The hue and cry of Pakistanis that we must seal the border on the afghan side is laughable. Won't ever happen. All that can happen is that the cost of such makes more attractive softer targets elsewhere. Your operations will exacerbate that sense while instilling it's own sense of urgency to their return to sancturary in Pakistan.

It must be guarded, no? All that Schlosser has suggested is that we see more leaving than coming now-in general- along the eastern borders. That will also be the case in Baluchistan if our operations proceed apace.

Thanks, and should you decide to accept this mission Mr. Phelps, good luck.

 

[Zob]

why not build a wall ISRAELI style to stop infiltiration....it can't be made until the disputed territory between pakistan and afghanistan is settled in our or afghanistans favour....once that is done... then we can build a wall and stop all this nonsense...


the problem is the US whines and whines like an old woman but does nothing substantial to stop infiltiration...besides DRONE attacks that just fuel the fire....so for once US should DO MORE!!!!!