Pakistan refuses US request to expand drones' area of operations

Verity

"Part of what makes the war in Afghanistan so complicated is how easily the Taliban can be supplied from over the border in Pakistan."

Then, guess what! Bomb the crap out of "over the border in Pakistan". If the government of Pakistan can't stop it, we can.

Verity

"Pakistan refuses US request to expand Drones' area of operations".

Then guess what! Expand it anyway!

(There was a reason the Indians in the 1940s were so agreeable to Partition, you know.)

Roy

For all the millions of dollars the US has given Pakistan they have the cheek (if this story is correct), to refuse the use of this plane. The US should withhold any further payments until such permission is given. Pakistan is worried this plane could win the war for the US, and leave Pakistan to handle the remnants of the Taliban.

Hugh

If you enjoy the Long War Journal regularly, you will have noticed how frequently the unmanned vehicles strike, and how successfully.

TomTom

Well Britain having created Pakistan as a basket case in 1947 is now so ensnared in the place that cities like Bradford are even twinned with Mirpur District Council, Azad Kashmir, Hardly likely the Us will be getting much assistance from the UK unless the Pakistan High Commissioner permits

The Oncoming Storm

"Then guess what bomb the crap out of "over the border in Pakistan""

You obviously have no idea how ridiculous an idea that is.

Michael

"it would be very hard to maintain the support of Western publics"
Oh, come off it, since when have politicians been accountable to the public?!

Norman Dee

Michael nail on the head, Oncoming Storm, you're probably right but have you an alternative ?. The Taliban have no rules of engagement, they care little or nothing about collateral damage and casualties, they are supported from within the Pakistan and Afghan military and goverment, and an almost inexhaustable supply of brainwashed recruits, and even if we get close to beating the Taliban, there's still Al Qaeda, and then the Continuity Taliban, the Real Taliban, Son of Taliban, the Taliban Territorial reserves etc etc. Regardless to what any of the politicans say, this is in truth a war against Islam as a religious organisation because it's only the Muslims that can really stop this, and while they continue to shelter and be preyed upon by the Taliban et al without resisting it will go on.
Maybe it will take massive collateral damage in the way of Dresden and Nagasaki/Hiroshima to bring them around because nothing else seems to working.

Don

Change Taliban to IRA and Pakistan to Southern Ireland. Tough titties, America spent enough time supporting cross border terror, so now they are getting a taste of what they where supporting.

victor jara 67

I would take this announcment with a healthy dose of salt. They are quite happy for the US to engage in extra judicial killing, however they have to appeal to their public.
Only 13% of Pakistanis have a positive view of the US

The Oncoming Storm

Norman Muslims are only going to put a stop to it when they feel they've more to gain by supporting the West and reject the fantasy of Al Qaeda and the Taliban that the answer is to go back to a mythical medieval Islamic paradise. "Bombing the crap out of them" will prove totally counter productive, the Americans took that approach in Laos and Cambodia 40 years ago and look how they turned out!

The only option is to continue to build up the Afghan security forces and hope they will have the ability to maintain order when we leave. Yes there should be covert actions in Pakistan against Taliban leaders and supply lines but these will need to be carried out carefully so as to avoid inflaming popular opinion there.

The real tragedy of Afghanistan is that if it had been given the full attention it needed in 2002 it wouldn't be the mess it is but sadly Cheney and Rumsfeld merely saw it as the warm up for the main event in Iraq.

Verity

Victor Jara 67 - "Only 13% of Pakistanis have a positive view of the US."

Does this mean that only 13% of Pakistanis would accept a Green Card?

Verity

The Oncoming Storm to me - "You obviously have no idea how ridiculous an idea that is."

You're correct. Unless you think my solution is too mild and we should employ the Hiroshima option?

Stuart Seacole Smith

There's no doubt in my mind that the drones are, and will continue to be a superb weapon in this kind of "asymetric" conflict. Together with the required intelligence, the more of the things we can get out there, and the greater the area covered, the better. And despite this setback I'd be very surprised if that isn't exactly the way it goes in the coming years.

The likes of the BBC are now starting to peddle the fiction that western taliban bodycount objectives (mainly via special forces and drone operations) are the wrong way to go, that instead the focus should be on negotiation. This is of course the usual BBC agenda-driven drivel. There's no reason not to relentlessly pursue the maximum possible taliban/ insurgent bodycount as a mind-focussing support to the inevitable negotiations - and indeed to keep it up during negotiations, and be ready to recommence afterwards as soon as the enemy renege, which they're bound to do along the lines of real taliban, son of taliban etc as noted by other commenters.

Drones are a relatively cheap and efficient way of keeping the bodycount up. Bring on the drones. Hell, I'd be happy to personally contribute to a "sponsor a drone" programme if such existed!

TGF UKIP

The Pakistani response underlines the criminal culpability of the leftist governemnts in London and Washington in undermining the military by setting politically determined artificial deadlines.

Verity

The Oncoming Storm, above. What the hell is a "Norman muslim"?? I thought they got stopped at the Gates of Vienna ...

porkbelly

You can't really blame the Pakistanis for acknowledging the truth of the situation. NATO is looking for a politically palatable exit from Afghanistan, and will thereafter quickly lose interest in what happens in the region. Pakistan must use military coercion, negotiation, co-option and all the subterfuge the ISI is capable of to keep the conflict contained to its northern provinces. NATO can go on holding conferences and issuing statements about this and that but the reality is it has lost the war but isn't ready to admit it.