US Weighs Stepped-Up Military Forays Into Pakistan

US Weighs Stepped-Up Military Forays Into Pakistan
by Pamela Hess and Matthew Lee


WASHINGTON - Top Bush administration officials are pressing the president to direct U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be more aggressive in pursuing militants into Pakistan on foot as part of a proposed radical shift in regional counterterrorism strategy, The Associated Press has learned.

Senior intelligence and military aides want President Bush to give American soldiers greater flexibility to operate against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters who cross the border from Pakistan’s lawless tribal border area to conduct attacks inside Afghanistan, officials say.

The plan could include sending U.S. special forces teams, temporarily assigned to the CIA, into the tribal areas to hit high-value targets, according to an intelligence official with direct knowledge of the plan.

Such a move would be controversial, in part because of Pakistani opposition to U.S. incursions into its territory, and the proposal is not universally supported in Washington. It comes amid growing political instability in Pakistan and concerns that elements of Pakistan’s security forces are collaborating with extremists.

Senior members of Bush’s national security team met last week at the White House to discuss the recommendations and are now weighing how to proceed, the officials said.

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http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/08/10894/

I fail to see how further antagonizing and possibly destabilizing Pakistan is going to help Afghanistan. It seems like particularly bad timing, given the impeachment proceedings against Musharraff. He is their man in Pakistan, so further US involvement at this time can only cause further problems. Perhaps their aim is to replace him with some else who will do their bidding.