US wants broader Pakistan military ties - official

[bemildred]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - The Obama administration wants to pursue broader military ties with Pakistan to help Islamabad combat a growing threat from militant groups including the Taliban, a Pentagon official said on Tuesday.

Michele Flournoy, U.S. under secretary of defense for policy, said Washington wants to provide the Pakistani army with training and advice on counterinsurgency tactics developed in Iraq and Afghanistan and support ongoing operations with intelligence and other assistance.

"We need to substantially increase our military assistance and broaden the form," she said at a forum hosted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"If we could get beyond a transactional sort of equipping, support, reimbursement relationship to a strategic relationship where we are also training, advising, working together on the ground ... we would be much more effective and get a lot farther down the road of achieving our common objectives."


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN21501534

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Fools.

[friendly_iconoclast]

1. Too late for that, Pakistan is falling apart faster than most will admit

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8010148.stm

Swat's Taleban expand operations
By Syed Shoaib Hasan
BBC News, Islamabad

The Taleban have not yet heeded calls to disarm
Taleban militants operating in Pakistan's Swat region who agreed a peace deal with the government have expanded operations into nearby Buner.

Dozens of militants have been streaming into bordering Buner to take over mosques and government offices.

Buner is part of the Malakand region, which has just seen the implementation of Sharia law under the peace deal.

But the Taleban have mainly operated in Swat, where they fought the army from August 2007 until this year's deal.

Under the deal the Taleban were expected to disarm.

Buner district is only about 100km (62 miles) from the capital, Islamabad.

Note: Emphasis mine

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Pak-militants-ban-political-parties/articleshow/4431945.cms

Pak militants ban political parties in Fata
22 Apr 2009, 0000 hrs IST, AGENCIES


ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) have now banned political parties in the Bajaur region of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Both the separatist organizations have also issued a jirga banning meeting of more than three persons at a same place. According to the Daily Times, the decision was taken after four persons were killed in a clash between the activists of these two groups. The latest ban adds to the long list of activities that the Taliban has prohibited in the region.

The outlawed outfit had also barred women from venturing out of their house alone. Sale and purchase of music cds and film videos have also been banned. Growing beard and wearing turban has been made mandatory for men in the region.

Meanwhile, Taliban militants from Pakistan’s Swat valley are refusing to leave the Buner district which they forcibly occupied and have established a big base in the town, located just 100 km from the federal capital. The continued presence of the Taliban has forced the leaders of the Awami National Party, which rules the North West Frontier Province, to leave the region and the intervention of the tribal peace jirga to make them vacate the area has failed, The News daily reported on Tuesday.

[DrFunkenstein]

2. Pakistan Still Believes Its Biggest Threat Is India, Not Internal

Any effort to expand military assistance must be predicated upon Pakistan turning its attention to dealing with local (and imported) extremists.

[friendly_iconoclast]

3. Their inability or unwillingness to deal with the internal situation will destroy them

And bring upon the very war with India they wish to avoid.

Louis XVI had better political skills than the current Pakistani goverment is displaying,
for the love of Pete!

[Vidar]

4. Let's board a sinking ship.