The CIA Takes a Big Hit in the Afghan War
Time: The Khost death toll is second only to the record for the number of CIA staffers killed in a single day. On April 18 1983, eight members of the Agency were killed when the US Embassy in Beirut was blown up by a Hizballah suicide bomb. A retired officer who was then in active service says the Agency "was in shock for about one day... and then we got mad."
What Could a Stealth Drone Be Doing in Afghanistan? | Danger Room | Wired.com
"The Taliban do not have radar, so why deploy an expensive, stealthy done when conventional models like the Predator and Reaper work so well? And what’s the point of having a high-level, strategic craft in that theater?"Says the WIRED.COM story and it goes on:
"There has of course been plenty of speculation. Much of it is focused on the idea that while it is based in Kandahar, the Beast may be carrying out missions outside of Afghanistan, with Iran and Pakistan both being possible candidates. For both of those radar stealth could be an important asset, and the beast may be carrying out signals-intercept or other tasks (looking for traces of nuclear material?).
"This might make more sense than local operations: why risk an expensive, scarce black drone and run the chance of it being uncovered if you can do the job with other aircraft."
"There has of course been plenty of speculation. Much of it is focused on the idea that while it is based in Kandahar, the Beast may be carrying out missions outside of Afghanistan, with Iran and Pakistan both being possible candidates. For both of those radar stealth could be an important asset, and the beast may be carrying out signals-intercept or other tasks (looking for traces of nuclear material?).
"This might make more sense than local operations: why risk an expensive, scarce black drone and run the chance of it being uncovered if you can do the job with other aircraft."
Could Blackwater be working to help carve a united Pashtunistan?
What is Blackwater doing in Pakistan? Brig (R) Shaukat Qadir poses the question, and tries to answer it in this piece carried by UAE-based The National Newspaper.
NYDN: Obama, tell me how this ends?
"The Long War ends not in victory but in exhaustion and insolvency, when the United States runs out of troops and out of money", says Andrew J. Bacevich. Some in Pakistan may secretly share this view - but Bacevich's argument is based on a different error:
"The [War on Terror] has no coherent narrative. When it comes to defining victory, U.S. political and military leaders are flying blind", says the New York Daily News writer. "Historically, the default strategy for wars that lack a plausible victory narrative is attrition. When you don't know how to win, you try to outlast your opponent, hoping he'll run out of troops, money and will before you do." The full story.
"The [War on Terror] has no coherent narrative. When it comes to defining victory, U.S. political and military leaders are flying blind", says the New York Daily News writer. "Historically, the default strategy for wars that lack a plausible victory narrative is attrition. When you don't know how to win, you try to outlast your opponent, hoping he'll run out of troops, money and will before you do." The full story.
Guardian Reports British & American 'Boots on the Ground' in Pakistan
That was between 2003 and 2008. Now, "Disrupting the Taliban safe haven inside Pakistan is the unspoken part of Barack Obama's 'surge' announced this month. Although 30,000 troops will be deployed to Afghanistan by next summer, the Taliban and al-Qaida leadership is believed to be sheltering on the Pakistani side of the 1,600-mile border", says the Guardian report.
Why does Pakistan hate the United States? - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine
Attitude from the U.S. of A: Christopher Hitchens cannot imagine why Pakistanis are not head over heels in love with America after all these decades of favors - including overlooking "the regular interventions of its military into politics" and the funding of the Afghan Jihad. Small wonder the world is in a mess when this is the IQ of the pundits of the leader of the free world.
'The war is in Pakistan right now' | Raw Story
"The war is in Pakistan right now. There's no question about it. The question, though, is how much it's going to expand. ... These are actions that are going to destabilize Pakistan..." Scahill again.
This is a follow-up post to the previous one - it does move the story forward. For background, here is the link to the original Scahill story - The Secret US War in Pakistan - in The Nation.
This is a follow-up post to the previous one - it does move the story forward. For background, here is the link to the original Scahill story - The Secret US War in Pakistan - in The Nation.
Blackwater's Secret War in Pakistan Nailed
Jeremy Scahill tells democracy now Blackwater is executing a secret war in Pakistan - as part of a program so secretive that top Obama administration and military officials have likely been unaware of its existence; and that Blackwater employees in Pakistan could be posting as aid workers. Does the Pakistan-US diplomatic row make sense now?
There is more: Beginning in 2006, the Pakistani government allowed the JSOC to operate in Pakistan; and that the US military involvement within Pakistan is set to increase....
Scahill broke the story in The Nation Magazine on 23 November; this video contains an interview (1:35-20:34) he gave to Democracy Now's Amy Goodman the next day. He also gives the names of a Pakistani defense contractor to which Blackwater is a subcontractor - he is naming the names. A must watch if you are trying to understand what is going on in (and happening to) our country. [Thank you to Maj. Talat Khurshid, for a tip that led me to this - how could I miss this?]
There is more: Beginning in 2006, the Pakistani government allowed the JSOC to operate in Pakistan; and that the US military involvement within Pakistan is set to increase....
Scahill broke the story in The Nation Magazine on 23 November; this video contains an interview (1:35-20:34) he gave to Democracy Now's Amy Goodman the next day. He also gives the names of a Pakistani defense contractor to which Blackwater is a subcontractor - he is naming the names. A must watch if you are trying to understand what is going on in (and happening to) our country. [Thank you to Maj. Talat Khurshid, for a tip that led me to this - how could I miss this?]
Insurgents Hack U.S. Drones - WSJ.com
$26 off-the-shelf software used to intercept video feeds from drones: "Some of the most detailed evidence of intercepted feeds has been discovered in Iraq, but adversaries have also intercepted drone video feeds in Afghanistan, according to people briefed on the matter. These intercept techniques could be employed in other locations where the U.S. is using pilotless planes, such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, they said."
A Chance for "These People" to Make a Difference
Pakistani-American Rob Asghar at Huffpo: "Diaspora-led initiatives can address challenges in ways that governments can't..."
The Year of Decision & the Year of Tumult
Goodbye to the NRO | The AfPak Channel: "The roller coaster U.S.-Pakistan relationship seems heading for another deep dive, unless cooler heads prevail."
U.S. Pressing Pakistan to Do Even More!
Under U.S. Pressure, Pakistan Balks at Helping on Afghan Taliban - TIME: "The immediate focus of discussion between the U.S. and Pakistan is North Waziristan."
Suspicions of Clandestine Activity?
Pakistan 'Harassing U.S. Diplomats', says NYTimes.com: "The campaign includes the refusal to extend or approve visas for more than 100 American officials and the frequent searches of American diplomatic vehicles in major cities, said an American official briefed on the cases."
What If We Fail in Afghanistan?: Think Tank : The New Yorker
What If We Fail in Afghanistan?: Think Tank : The New Yorker: "What would be the consequences of a second Islamic Emirate?"
Pakistani military hits Taliban in Arakzai - The Long War Journal
Pakistani military hits Taliban in Arakzai - The Long War Journal: "The Taliban have left a significant rearguard of fighters behind in South Waziristan to slow the Army advance and 'buy time for its forces to reestablish command and control in the alternate locations,' the military official said."
Pakistani Successes May Sway U.S. Troop Decision - NYTimes.com
Pakistani Successes May Sway U.S. Troop Decision - NYTimes.com: "“They are fleeing in all directions,” said a senior Pakistani security official, who did not want to be identified while discussing national security issues. “The Uzbeks are fleeing to Afghanistan and the north, and the Mehsuds are fleeing to any possible place they can think of.”"
Afghanistan Strategists Turn Focus to Pakistan - NYTimes.com
Afghanistan Strategists Turn Focus to Pakistan - NYTimes.com: "During Mr. Obama’s Situation Room briefings on his alternatives, those advocating a minimal commitment of new troops in Afghanistan have argued that the United States needs only enough forces to keep Al Qaeda “bottled up” in the mountainous tribal areas of Pakistan."
Say Nyet to Afghanistan by Jeff Huber -- Antiwar.com
Say Nyet to Afghanistan by Jeff Huber -- Antiwar.com: "Obama has rejected the four options that his national security team has presented him. It’s sounding more every day like he’s come to his senses, and understands Afghanistan is not a 'war of necessity,' and wants a way out."
Afghanistan is neither Vietnam nor Iraq | The AfPak Channel
Afghanistan is neither Vietnam nor Iraq | The AfPak Channel: "The West's war with al Qaeda must not somehow be transformed into a war with the nearly 40 million Pashtuns who live on both sides of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We have neither the means nor the will to do what it would take to win such a war."
Hillary Clinton's Inner Voice
Washington gasps at Hillary charm-el-shake offensive that leaves Islamabad stunned - US - World - The Times of India: "'Her inner voice became her outer voice,' Martha Raddatz, a veteran NBC correspondent said on the network, explaining that while many in the administration believed what she said to be true (that Pakistan is coddling terrorists), it was rare for America's top diplomat to say it publicly."
Pakistan’s strategic interest in [Afghanistan] is non-negotiable
Globalist - Britain Resolves, U.S. Wavers - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com: "The Taliban are a Pashtun movement. Pashtunistan straddles the porous Afghan-Pakistani border. Afghanistan has always been ungovernable without a Pashtun buy-in. Pakistan’s strategic interest in that buy-in is non-negotiable. These are basic — but long ignored — building blocks of successful strategy."
مکین لدھا میںحتمی جنگ
BBC Urdu - پاکستان - وزیرستان جنگ کے مقاصد کیا ہیں؟: "جنوبی وزیرستان کے شدت پسندوں کو اپنی جنگ ایک ایسے علاقے میں لڑنی ہے جو زیادہ ناسازگار ہے کیونکہ اس ایک تو پانی کم اور پھر جنگل کی پناہ بھی دستیاب نہیں ہے۔ اس لیے غالب امکان یہ کہ غیر ملکیوں سمیت شدت پسندوں کی بڑی تعداد علاقے چھوڑ کر بھاگ جائے گی اور ان کے لیے آسان ترین یہ ہو گا کہ گومل پاس کے راستے بلوچستان کے وسیع تر ویرانے میں لاپتہ ہو جائیں۔"
Nuclear engineer from Cern lab arrested for al-Qaeda links
Times Online: "Fears that al-Qaeda is planning an attack on the nuclear industry in Europe were renewed yesterday after French secret agents arrested a physicist working at an atomic research centre."
Why are scientists such bad spies? | FP Passport
FP Passport: "a U.S. scientist was brought down yesterday for trying to sell state secrets to Israel."
"...little bits of Waziristan throughout Pakistan..."
The battle for 'terror central' in Pakistan - Telegraph: "To put it bluntly, part of Pakistan has been Islamised as a result of American action. And now it is Pakistan that has to deal with the consequences, fighting battles in the way America wants against some of its own people."
The Taliban Surge!
Taliban strength in Afghanistan nears military proportion - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON -- A recent U.S. intelligence assessment has raised the estimated number of full-time Taliban -led insurgents fighting in Afghanistan to at least 25,000, underscoring how the crisis has worsened even as the U.S. and its allies have beefed up their military forces, a U.S. official said Thursday."
The Obama administration has already begun to escalate the fighting in Pakistan...
AlterNet: Why Obama Has No Business Trying War in the Nuclear-Armed Powder Keg of Pakistan: "The Obama administration has already begun to escalate the fighting in Pakistan, a policy that could make even the Nixon-Kissinger destruction of Cambodia seem like a pleasant memory."
"What Obama needs is to silence the endless cries for more troops and ..."
Asia Times Online: "What Obama needs is to silence the endless cries for more troops and more war emanating from the military and foreign policy 'experts' around him"
Get Nasty or Go Home | Foreign Policy
Get Nasty or Go Home | Foreign Policy: "an emergency SOS indicating that the U.S.-NATO coalition is close to losing the Afghan war"
Rush Delivery for Mother of All Bunker Busters | Danger Room | Wired.com
Rush Delivery for Mother of All Bunker Busters | Danger Room | Wired.com: "the MOP could be ready for B-2 delivery as early as next summer"
"...biological weapons might have actually increased the probability of a bioterrorist attack..."
Biohazard | Foreign Policy: "the race to develop countermeasures to biological weapons might have actually increased the probability of a bioterrorist attack"
The News International on Civil-Military Disconnect
Certain individuals targeted Army, ISI: "[E]lements within the [Pakistani] government deployed resources to lobby several key United States congressmen for inclusion of anti-military and anti-nuclear programme segments in the controversial US aid bill"
Surprise! Pakistan Siphoned off Billions in U.S. Military Aid | Danger Room | Wired.com
Surprise! Pakistan Siphoned off Billions in U.S. Military Aid: "Musharraf diverted the funds to economic subsidies to bolster his domestic ratings"
Pakistan's army heads into the belly of the beast | The AfPak Channel
Pakistan's army heads into the belly of the beast | The AfPak Channel: "The local population in Mehsud country has been ordered by radio to evacuate the area; tens of thousands have left. Heavy ground operations could begin sometime in October."
What the U.S. should be asking about our Afghanistan strategy | The AfPak Channel
What the U.S. should be asking about our Afghanistan strategy | The AfPak Channel: "Sending another 5,000 to 40,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan will not salvage the U.S. mission in Afghanistan."
Afghanistan: Interesting Times : The New Yorker
Afghanistan: Interesting Times : The New Yorker: "the lingua franca of the combat units in Afghanistan: make the population the center of effort, focus on politics an"
Evaluating Progress in Afghanistan-Pakistan | Foreign Policy
Obama administration's draft metrics for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Evaluating Progress in Afghanistan-Pakistan | Foreign PolicyThe Musharraf I Know | Foreign Policy
The Musharraf I Know | Foreign Policy: "the people of Pakistan will succeed in bringing Musharraf to justice"
Stop blaming Pakistan for UK terrorism - top diplomat | World news | The Guardian
Stop blaming Pakistan for UK terrorism - top diplomat | World news | The Guardian: "plomats accept this account, but Rauf's relatives in Birmingham and his lawyer in Islamabad dismiss it as utterly implausible."
The Destabilization of Pakistan: Finding Clarity in the Baluchistan Conundrum
The Destabilization of Pakistan: Finding Clarity in the Baluchistan Conundrum: "through Afghanistan into Baluchistan and Gwadar."
MinnPost - Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh describes 'executive assassination ring'
MinnPost - Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh describes 'executive assassination ring': "to fall asleep, Kissinger “has to count burned and maimed Cambodian babies.”)"
Cyberwar - Defying Experts, Rogue Computer Code Still Lurks - Series - NYTimes.com
Cyberwar - Defying Experts, Rogue Computer Code Still Lurks - Series - NYTimes.com: "“Even if we lose against Conficker,” he said, “there are things we’ve learned that will benefit us in the future.”"
Case against company for making APCs
Case against company for making APCs: "long with their clearing agents and others, have individually and jointly, connived, ab"
What to Read on Pakistani Politics | Foreign Affairs
What to Read on Pakistani Politics | Foreign Affairs: "of the military's power derives from Pakistan's enduring rivalry with neighboring India over the disputed state of Kashmir, a struggle that has generated at least three wars since 1947. The soldiers"
DAWN.COM | World | US court asked to block abuse photos
DAWN.COM | World | US court asked to block abuse photos: "this and their very great worry that release of these photographs will cost American lives,’ Mr Gates said."
Dawn says Seymour Hersh claims Cheney had Bhutto killed | The Best Defense
Dawn says Seymour Hersh claims Cheney had Bhutto killed | The Best Defense: "http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/05/did-newly-announced-top-afghan-general-run-cheneys-assassination-wing/"
The People of the CIA ... Ames Mole Hunt Team — Central Intelligence Agency
The People of the CIA ... Ames Mole Hunt Team — Central Intelligence Agency: "Ames’ wife Rosario received a five-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit espionage and tax evasion. When Rosario was released from prison, she immediately went home to South America."
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