The Current Pakistan/Al-Qeada Skirmish :

[AJ BENDER]

Regarding the latest on the Pakistani search for Al-Qeada # 2 on the Border :

Is CNN being played like a fiddle on this one ? The reporters are in Islamabad nowhere near the action so there is no certainty regarding what is exactly going on there.

Is this a diversion from the 1 year anniversary of the invasion and of the massive demonstrations planned for March 20th ?

Any Thoughts ?

[plurality]

1. No, I believe there actually is a battle going on there

No OBL or Zawahiri, and CNN et al are in Islamabad because they are only needed to gleeful report on any coalition successes. However, it's necessary that they not actually be anywhere near the actual action for then they might let it slip out that the action isn't quite as successful as the govt. would like us to believe.

[DinahMoeHum]

2. Very interesting link from Buzzflash I just picked up

from the March 18 Mailbag:

http://www.buzzflash.com/mailbag/04/03/mai04076.html

than scroll down to the third letter, the one from "Steve From Syracuse"

(snip)
Operation Mountain Freedom" in Afghanistan is jointly being conducted with Pakistan, as a "Hammer and Anvil" approach squash the Taliban and al Qaeda forces in the Afghan eastern mountains.

This requires the Pakistanis to enter the volatile and rugged Waziristan mountain tribal areas. Cooperation from the local tribesmen is essential to capturing Osama, al Zawahiri, and Omar. However, It now becomes known that Musharraf is working under the gun to prevent Pakistan from suffering under US imposed sanctions over the Khan affair. This has led Mushy into a desperate situation, which has led to the arrest of some local elders in Waziristan, and now a massacre, and the local tribesmen shooting back.

In the end, this means that Waziristan is not cooperating. "Operation Mountain Freedom" is well on the way to becoming " Operation Mountain Fiasco." For without effective Paki support the hammer and anvil approach won't work.

I think analysis will show that we tried to force Musharraf to help, and blackmailed him with threats of severe sanctions. This has led Musharraf to rash actions in an area where bin Laden is considered a mythic RELIGIOUS figure. A figure on par with the notorious Faqir of Ipi who bedeviled the British in Waziristan's Khiasora Valley from about 1936, until independence. A history of the area is vital to understanding the full extent of the gamble that Musharraf has been forced to undertake, by Incurious George, and his grisly gang of Fantasylanders.
(snip)


:grr: