map downloaded from WikipediaPakistanis Vow To "Defend Our Country."
Except this time they are vowing to defend themselves against increasing incursions by U.S. Forces.
The United States, upset with the slow progress of Pakistani movements within the Federally Administered Tribal Lands (which is diplospeak for "we gots no badges, we don't gots to show you no stinking badges") has picked up the level and force levels of its recent incursions into mainly the Waziristan region, but also into the the Kurram and Khyber.
The Australian reports on the most recent vows by what ever Pakistanis are exerting temporary control in Islamabad, and also the nuclear capability, are saying.
It's a rational point for them to take. They really don't give a rat's patoot that George W. Bush wants to deliver up an October Surprise in the form of Osama Bin Laden's corpse so that the McCain campaign can benefit from the illusion of success in Afghanistan.
My source on the ground in Afghanistan has said that some of the recent incursions by Special Forces, and the combined Air/Ground effort recently were instigated by provable, and actionable intelligence on the whereabouts of Bin Laden, which were confirmed further by evidence gathered at the site of the attack. He says it was a "righteous op" and that isn't a term he bandies about loosely.
The problem is this though. Is the capture of one cave dwelling asshole, even if he's the biggest asshole in the history of the world, worth the risks involved with destablilizing an already wobbly nuclear state? If the current Islamabad controllers cannot prove their legitimacy by being able to secure their borders from armed incursions by hostile foreigners, has anybody thought about who, or what, might replace them?
These are all questions that should have been considered seven years ago before the invasion of Afghanistan took place.
Over at Ranger * Against * War* we have been having a lively discussion about historical models for today's conflicts.
Please drop in and give these fine folks a listen, and a hello. There is some very good stuff going on there. So far we've talked about Sherman, Grant, Lee, Hood, McClellan, Lincoln, and my own little contribution, Epaminondas.
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