Frustrated with frequent attacks on Americans in Afghanistan, the US military and intelligence officials are considering launching secret joint US-Afghan commando raids into Pakistan to hunt down the militants.
According to media reports, the idea has been consistently rejected because the White House believes the chance of successfully rooting out the deadly Haqqani network would not be worth the intense diplomatic blowback from Pakistan that inevitably would ensue.
Members of the Haqqani tribe have been targeted by pilotless US drone aircraft, but sending American and Afghan troops into Pakistan would be a serious escalation of the hunt for terrorists and potentially the final straw for Pakistan, already angered over what it sees as US violations of its sovereignty. The latest round of debate over whether to launch clandestine special operations raids into Pakistan against the Haqqanis came after the June 1 car bombing of Forward Operating Base Salerno in eastern Afghanistan that injured up to 100 US and Afghan soldiers, according to three current and two former US officials who were briefed on the discussions. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the still-evolving debates.
The officials told the Associated Press that recent discussions of clandestine ground attacks have included General John Allen, the senior US commander in Afghanistan, as well as top CIA and special operations officials. Allen’s spokesman, Navy Cmdr. Brook DeWalt, said Allen “has not and does not intend to push for a cross-border operation.” The White House and the CIA declined to comment for this story. Pentagon spokesman George Little said the US was still focused on US-Pakistan cooperation.
“The key is to work together with Pakistan to find ways of fighting terrorists who threaten both the United States and Pakistan, including along the Afghan-Pakistan border, where extremists continue to plot attacks against coalition forces and innocent civilians,” he said. The officials say Allen expressed frustration that militants would attack and then flee across the border in Pakistan, immediately taking shelter in urban areas where attacking them by missile fire could kill civilians. The officials say options that have been prepared for President Barack Obama’s review included raids that could be carried out by US special operations forces together with Afghan commandos, ranging from air assaults that drop raiders deep inside the tribal areas to hit top leaders to shorter dashes only a few miles into Pakistan territory.
The shorter raids would not necessarily be covert, as they could be carried out following the US military principle known as “hot pursuit” that military officials say entitles their forces to pursue a target that attacks them in Afghanistan up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) inside a neighboring country’s territory.
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Sweet …
Salalalala at breakfast, lunch and dinner …
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Such a move by the US and Afghan forces has the potential to have unimaginable consequences. Americans have had no success in Iraq and are going to fail in Afghanistan. Covert operations inside Pakistan may succeed in eliminating some of the unwanted elements but ultimately such a move will be counterproductive to US interests in this region.
They can't beat afghanistan how can they even think of taking on Pakistan, they can create a whole lot of chaos though. But so can we!
@chaudry:
But you have already done your chaos part of the job.
After 9/11 US is getting good at false flags. please keep attacking your own troops in Afghanistsn….
If there EVER would be a time to prove Pakistan Army's worth; It is NOW!!!
Undeserved faith. Do not pin too much hopes.
I agree with you Front. But under this coward government and with Pakistan Army itself being led by an eunuch. I don't think so it would be possible!
STAND UP! Pakistan Army! A mere stance in this situation would be enough to shut their mouths!
what Pakistanis need to know that this world is sick and tired of their dual policy of 'holding with the hare and hunting with the hounds'. America is bad but Pakistanis are worst…
Pakistanis are natural criminals and killers so the policy of terrorism comes naturally to them. Now they are using this policy everywhere and world has started reacting…
Pakistani terrorsits have done damage to the world and in return nearly destroyed themselves too.. but no lessons learnt… good in one way … World will be better place without Pakistan.
Pak has "mulled" civert action in Afghanistan as well. Nice psychological ploy, it only works on the gullible internet trolls. Hasn't and won't work in reality.
I am really surprise to see many comments made by those who do not know even ABC of Pak-Afg geography. All these attacks are happening more than 100 kms away from durandline how can Haqani Mujahedeen go undeducted from pak to 100 km inside Afg under the eyes of world top rank military of USA and Afg soldiers, This all is a baseless allegation to put dust in the eyes of world and give lame excuses for near future defeat. US lead ISAF forces are not finding ways to run away from Afg. it is high time for the USA general public to understand the reality on ground and stand against immatureadventure of USA forces in which millions of innocent Iraqies, afghanis, libians and pakistanis died/dying.
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