[A-List] US imperialism: Pakistan

[Keaney Michael]

America plans raid into Pakistan

IAN BRUCE
The Herald, 22 March 2002

      THE US has asked permission to mount
      pre-emptive and hot pursuit raids into Pakistan, to
      strike at regrouping al Qaeda and Taliban forces
      enjoying the sanctuary of the Pashtun tribal lands
      along the Afghan border.

      The military government of General Pervez
      Musharraf has not yet announced a decision on the
      request, which would be almost certain to incite an
      Islamic backlash among its own population, and
      could trigger riots and even terrorist action in
      Pakistan's cities.

      Major General Franklin L. Hagenbeck, commander
      of the 10th US Mountain Division, said yesterday
      that chasing escaping enemy fighters over the
      rugged frontier trails would only be done "as a last
      resort", and only with the approval of Pakistani
      leaders.

      What US commanders have in mind is
      Islamabad's go-ahead for the insertion of allied
      troops on key infiltration routes.

      Hundreds and perhaps thousands of Afghan and
      Arab fighters bribed or talked their way through
      mountain checkpoints into the safety of the tribal
      territories after the battles at Tora Bora and
      Shah-e-Kot.

      Reinforcements are also believed to have made
      their way in the opposite direction to join the battle
      around Gardez, in which eight Americans died and
      20 transport and attack helicopters were put out of
      action in the last three weeks.

      The Americans seriously under-estimated the
      strength of the opposition holding the positions
      around the Shah-e-Kot bastion, and the first troops
      helicoptered in were subjected to punishing fire as
      they landed.

      The US wants the flexibility of being able to fly
      blocking forces into positions along the border to
      seal trails, and cut off supplies of arms and
      ammunition vital to the evolving mujahideen
      strategy of hit-and-run guerrilla action against
      troops in fixed Afhgan bases. General Hagenbeck
      said: "We would co-ordinate with the Pakistan
      government and our ambassador in Islamabad
      before any action. Hot pursuit would be a last
      resort."

      Intelligence sources say there may be as many as
      5000 al Qaeda and Taliban fighters massing along
      the north-west frontier for insurgency missions.
      Many of the senior enemy commanders, including
      Osama bin Laden, may also be in Pakistan.

      Other concentrations of rebel troops are in
      strongholds near Kandahar, Ghazni and Gardez in
      the east of the country close to escape routes into
      Pakistan. On Tuesday, Pakistani authorities
      arrested seven suspected al Qaeda members as
      they tried to enter Afghanistan, and US special
      forces ambushed and killed another 16 as they fled
      the Shah-e-Kot battle on Monday.

Full article at.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/22-3-19102-0-44-31.html

Michael Keaney
Mercuria Business School
Martinlaaksontie 36
01620 Vantaa
Finland

michael.keaney at mbs.fi