Posted on 01/13/2008 10:58:39 AM PST by AuntB
The Pentagon is "extremely concerned" about the emergence of al Qaeda in Pakistan, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff....
"So, [the Pentagon is] extremely, extremely concerned about that, and I think continued pressure there will have to be brought," he said.
Adm. Mullen added, however, that "Pakistan is a sovereign country and certainly it's really up to ... President Musharraf and certainly his advisers and his military to address that problem directly."
U.S. intelligence officials suggest that the area is an operational command center for al Qaeda's senior leaders, including Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri.
In recent months, U.S. officials began putting pressure on Pakistan over mounting concern that al Qaeda's strong presence along the border is destabilizing progress that has been made in Afghanistan....
Meanwhile, Pentagon officials are debating whether to send an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, warned NATO members yesterday that the U.S. is doing more than its share in Afghanistan, and asked NATO members to contribute to the effort or risk losing "lucrative defense contracts offered by U.S. taxpayers."
He added that the U.S. should not bear the burden of sending more troops to Afghanistan when some NATO allies fail to follow through with their commitments.
"The U.S. Department of Defense is considering the deployment of 3,000 U.S. Marines to Afghanistan, as a result of our NATO allies' inability to support the combat mission," Mr. Hunter's letter said. "In the eyes of Congress, it is unacceptable that the United States must continue to dig deeper into its military force when some of our NATO allies are unwilling to fulfill or make robust commitments to the international effort in Afghanistan."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Sounds like the description of a target-rich environment to me. And Pakistan — except for the tribal regions, and not all of those — really is not glad to have al Qaeda as a neighbor.
It is an opportunity. As a fighter pilot once told me, “A MIG at your six beats no MIG at all.”
Hunter!
You think he’s critical of NATO? Listen to him talk about the UN. LOL
It’s more proof Duncan Hunter puts America first!
Wake Up America ~ Duncan Hunter, knows what the hell is going on!!
Adm. Mullen added, however, that "Pakistan is a sovereign country and certainly it's really up to ... President Musharraf and certainly his advisers and his military to address that problem directly."
This freaking State Dept stuff will only end when we lose another 3,000 people.
And so far, at least, has been answered with a resounding silence. But that's OK - they're hard at work intervening in Darfur. That force they were sending two months ago that couldn't find 10 helicopters in all of Europe...well, it's...ah...still on the way. Any day now. Really.
I wish Hunter the very best but in this case he's urinating into a Force 10 gale of indifference.
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