Threat of potential Pakistani militias
(Why doesn’t the US have a coherent policy for this region?) There’s been deep debate about if the US should send in more troops to Pakistan, or whether we could push President Musharraf too far. But there’s essentially been no clear policy for the region since 2002. (What happened in 2002 that made the policy unfocussed?) The largest issue was the invasion of Iraq, resources being diverted to Iraq and high level attention was absorbed by Iraq. (What are the details of the type of infighting in the area?) We found details of two raids planned by Special Forces in Afghanistan, raids where they’d leave Afghanistan and go into Pakistan to snatch top aids to Bin Laden. One raid was stopped by Rumsfeld, and then a second raid was approved but then he was fired within days. (For officials in the White House, Pentagon and CIA and who want to get more troops in the region, there are restrictions about how many troops can be sent to Pakistan.) Absolutely, many Pakistani military officials think the US would plan an invasion against the country. (In the waning days of the Bush administration, what steps could still be taken now to develop a coherent policy for Pakistan?) One official said we know how to do this know, with a comprehensive counterinsurgency plan. But such a plan can’t be implemented in Pakistan, so there are few options and many feel the US has drifted into dangerous territory on this issue.
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