Last weeks little ambush on the ANA troops on the Kunar border - either by the Paki troops giving the talis a heads up or directly attacking the ANA themselves - has, it would seem, backfired.
The Pakis screamed bloody murder at the US because their air cover to save the ANA troops killed Paki military - (well known to be infiltrated with/simpatico with, the talis) turned back on them as we had video record of the whole thing - that shows we didn't attack their outpost - but it looks like they left their outpost to attack the ANA troops - and that's how they got killed - on video - oops.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gFzfzO1J3TT_eqpmvsK7pYkw3H4gD91AEAHO0
"Karzai said Afghanistan has the right to self defense, and because militants cross over from Pakistan "to come and kill Afghan and kill coalition troops, it exactly gives us the right to do the same."
About damn time!
The most porous stretch of border between the infested Paki area and Afghanistan is along Afghanistan's Kunar Province in the isolated northeast mountains of the Hindu Kush.
Those mountains and valleys provide taliban entry in and out of the Kunar like water through a colander. The pakis let them flow into the Kunar at will to strike the ANA and our troops and then to scurry back to safety in Paki.
This has been devastating and results in our troops having to, effectively, fight the same battles with the same miscreants (actually, the Pakis and other countries there call the terrorists "miscreants" - sounds more benign, but look it up...it really fits) over and over, day after day.
The Kunar is so isolated from the rest of Afghanistan, they don't even speak Afghani, but Pushto. Our troops up there have been in the worst fighting of the entire WOT...intense and daily. Most of them are isolated on tiny fire posts they literally pickax out of the mountain side, 2 1/2 hours of hiking with 100 lb packs, (it's in the high 90's now and will get MUCH hotter) like mountain goats, away from the OPs. (no running water or power, no showers for weeks at a time, almost daily fire-fights )- all the time, totally vulnerable to ambush and snipers.
The Korengal Valley of the Kunar is the worst - aka "Taliban Central"...The Sky Soldiers of the 173rd have been carrying the heavy load - and the heavy losses.
It's about damn time someone starts to shut off the swinging door to/from Pakistan.
Good on Kazai! (I'm sure this was all worked out with us - and is the perfect solution. How can Pakistan argue that Afghanistan doesn't have the right to protect it's borders and it's troops? If the edict came from us directly, there would be a hue and cry, not only from Pakistan but the miscreants sympathizers, aiders & abettors in DC.
This could be the most far reaching move of the entire war in Afghanistan - Dear God, let it be so.
Today, Kazai is my hero.
.