Posted on 05/01/2009 5:29:43 AM PDT by Schnucki
General David Petraeus, the commander of US Central Command, has reportedly told American officials that the next two weeks are critical to determining whether the Pakistani government will survive.
Gen Petraeus reportedly said that "we've heard it all before" from the Pakistanis and he is looking to see concrete action by the government to destroy the Taliban in the next two weeks before determining the next course of action for the US.
"The Pakistanis have run out of excuses" and are "finally getting serious" about combating the threat from Taliban and al-Qaeda extremists operating out of north-west Pakistan, the general added.
He made these assessments in talks with US congressmen and members of the Senate, according to the Fox News channel.
Officials said that Gen Petraeus and senior officials in the Obama administration believe that the Pakistani army, led by Gen Ashfaq Kayani, is "superior" to the civilian government.
American officials have watched with anxiety as Taliban fighters advanced earlier this month to within 60 miles of the capital city, Islamabad. In recent days, the Pakistani army has sought to reverse that tide, retaking control of strategic points in the district of Buner even as the Taliban struck back by kidnapping scores of police and paramilitary troops.
However, the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said last Saturday that It would be "unthinkable" that the Pakistani government of President Asif Ali Zardari would be toppled by the Taliban, adding: "Then they would have the keys to the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan, and we can't even contemplate that. We cannot let this go on any further."
The anxiety with which US officials are monitoring events in Pakistan is compounded by a battle in Washington over how best to help the Pakistanis. Some members of Congress want to attach strict conditions
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
ZERO will get right on it. Didn’t he say he would bomb Pakistan, or something, or other. Duhhh.
ZERO, there is a reason it’s called zero.
Now we have a return address for the nukes to Iran if Israel bombs their reactor.
Pakistan is reminding me more and more of Iran of 1979.....
Pakistan has the Bomb. They can hold an entire world hostage, not just an embassy staff.
Ohhhhh another crisis that we need to throw billions of dollars at.
Good God!!
Time to get out of New York, DC, LA, and other big cities ASAP!
I heard a couple of diplomats discussing this basically saying “oh that could never happen”. I think I'll go with Gen. Petraeus’s assessment of the situation.
Hillary Clinton, said last Saturday that It would be “unthinkable” that the Pakistani government ...would be toppled by the Taliban...and we can't even contemplate that. We cannot let this go on any further.
Sounds like she needs to write another “strongly worded letter” like she did to resolve the recent North Korean situation.
Both can be fractured and dissolved, as they should have been within 12 months of 9/11.
His teleprompter will give the Taliban a scathing speech, and all will be well in the world. The Messiah will have created another miracle.
Rubbish.
They have 70 crude weapons that can make a big bang and leave a hole in the ground. We can erase their nation from the face of the earth.
they can only hold us hostage with our permission.
Nuke ‘em now. Save time and money.
The irony of having Obama for president is- if he were to nuke them, the rest of the world would think it was the best thing since sliced white bread in plastic bags.
If Bush had done it, well... I think we all know.
Palin-Petreaus 2012
However, the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, said last Saturday that It would be “unthinkable” that the Pakistani government of President Asif Ali Zardari would be toppled by the Taliban, adding: “Then they would have the keys to the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan, and we can’t even contemplate that. We cannot let this go on any further.”
Obozo’s Fault. Lets just hope nobody is being waterboarded.
Pray for America
Petraeus excuse my typo
Are they nuts? The taliban want to take over Pakistan, along with the nuclear arsenal. Then they want to conquer the rest of the islamic world. Then the west. Pretty simple, really.
Do the Pakistanis really care? Aren’t they all Muslim? And isn’t the goal of every Muslim to be even more Muslim? I don’t think the Islamic world sees themselves as we do. One mans Taliban ( a word meaning students) insurgent is another mans pious brother.
A friend said she’d heard some buzz about Petreaus running in 2012....I’d not heard that. Any rumors out there?
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