We're sending our military into Pakistan next?

[GreenPartyVoter]

"WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is making plans for an offensive that would reach inside Pakistan in coming months to try to destroy operations of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, the Chicago Tribune reported on Wednesday."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0128-06.htm

[judge_smales]

1. I really, really doubt it.

And why is this in 2004 Primary forum?

[redqueen]

2. Actually this makes sense

the boy king making his late attempt to actually do something about terrorists before he stands before the American public in the election.

[judge_smales]

3. But not in Pakistan. No way.

The Gubbment there is already having plenty of trouble w/ radical Islamists. Letting the forces of the infidel Great Satan on to Pak soil to take out a Holy Man like Bin Ladan would start a war that would make the Crusades look like a Barney Christmas special.

[arcane1]

4. and PK has nukes, no?

should be interesting, to say the least...

there was a report months ago from some soldiers in Afghanistan, saying they watched helicopters go into the Tora Bora mountains and fly off to PK, and they were told not to do anything to stop them. Wish I could find it now...

[Adams Wulff]

8. So THAT'S how Osama is getting to his dialysis treatments!

n/t

[_Jumper_]

7. How?

How will the fundies attack a military dictatorship? An all-out war between fundies and the government isn't necessarily a bad thing. The fundie problem there must be solved once and for all if Pakistan wishes to ever advance into a prosperous state. No foreign investors are going to invest in an unstable Pakistan with a fundie problem. Pakistan needs to deal with it or it will be left in the dust of India, which is on the path to greatness while Pakistan continues its tailspin.

[Carrion]

5. More Dead Troops

But an assured re-election bid.

[_Jumper_]

6. It is about time

We should have done this a long time ago. Pakistan is unable or unwilling to apprehend terrorists within its borders, with the exceptions of a few tokens.

This will not start a war with Pakistan. This will almost certainly be done with their consent.

Will this cause internal troubles for Pakistan? Not really. It will cause a short-term uproar among fundies that will quickly subside to their usual levels of America hating. They already think America controls Pakistan so this will not be anything earthshaking for them. In the long-term this will help Pakistan deal with the fundie problem. After we eliminate Al-Qaeda's main components from Pakistan we can leave Pakistan and have a distant relationship with it. Obviously we will still have a relationship to capture other, minor and new terrorists but it will be nowhere near as close as the current one. This will reduce anti-American sentiment there. The fundies never won more than 10% of the vote there until 2002 when they won 25% riding a crest of anti-American hatred. After the relationship returns to normal the 15% the fundies added to their camp will return elsewhere. That being said, make no mistake about it. Islamic fundies in Pakistan will still hate America even if there were virtually no ties between the two countries because of their intense level of bigotry, need for a scapegoat, and conspiratorial nature. All roads lead to Washington and Tel Aviv in the minds of most Islamic fundies in Pakistan. :eyes:

[Bombtrack]

9. once again Jumper the voice of reason in a sea of paranioa and

a void of taking terrorism seriously.