We have seen this before, in Afghanistan. I dont comprehend the logic behind it.

Its they old "What do I get, if I let you escape" speech. Luckily, the Field Commander for the Paks, seems to have a particular hard on, for this particular tribal branch.

How Convenient that a Tank Shooting battle, just broke out, on our 6.

I picture Pakistan and Turkey, as less irrational bookends, of the Muslim world. Countries with enough Secularism to know right from wrong. And I think Mushariff is serious about cleaning up the Tribal areas.

I guess I fell for the propaganda that we were gonna be the Hammer, instead of the Anvil. I guess that the way you have plan a war, when CNN has a seat in the "Situation Room".

I just hope we are keeping an eye on the Iranian / Pakistan Border. When you smash bad apples with a hammer, against an anvil, the slime gushes out sideways. If OSB is still breathing, and in Pakistan, he probably on the phone....to his travel agent.

From the intercepted radio transmissions, I'm inclined to agree with the quoted report.

If Al Zawahiri was wounded and under fire, it would be "send me 4 guys to carry him, and 12 guys to handle security."

It would be "Send all you got. Send them now."

Extremely disappointed in Pakistan's performance to date as well. Two or three "operational pauses" in this one engagement alone, and now further "negotiations".

Not sure if Musharraf is slacking or if his orders are being ignored, but it doesn't take a genius to notice when "3000 troops" fail to close with and destroy "300 enemy".

Have we actually signed the "important ally" paperwork yet?

More importantly, have we delivered the cash and weapons?

If so, we're getting ripped off.

I suspect AQ's couple of attempted hits on Musharef had something to do with his seeing-of-the-light, however shallow or deep it may run.

Even Janet Reno knew how to clear a compound out. :o)

Oh snap.

The odd thing I find is how hamfisted this offensive is. Pakistan has something of a modern airforce, F-16s. If these AQ scum are holding fixed positions why arent they being erradicated by fighter bombers? Thats what airpower is for.

Sorry, it turns out that this statement from the original post, is not correct:

"A major offensive against Al Qaeda suspects sheltering in villages in Pakistan’s tribal belt has been suspended
while authorities negotiate with tribal leaders."

The Pakistanis have declared the cease fire not to negotiate with tribal leaders, but to send tribal leaders in to list Pakistan's demands for their surrender.

Intercepted radio transmissions have indicated that the terrorists are running out of ammunition.

"PESHAWAR, March 21: The government has agreed to a temporary ceasefire on Monday to allow a group of tribal elders in the rugged South Waziristan tribal
region to make a last-ditch effort to persuade local and foreign militants to surrender, a senior official said.

"They will go inside the area and find out who the leaders of the militants are and convey to them our demands," Brig. Shah said. He said the government had
presented to them three demands: 12 missing paramilitary forces and two junior administration officers believed to be held hostage by the militants must be released
unconditionally and immediately; local tribesmen accused of harbouring foreign militants must be handed over to the government; and all foreign militants in the area
must surrender immediately.

"They are supposed to come back with an answer. If the tribal elders find that they are too weak to convince these people, then they will identify the targets and our
forces will finish off the job," Brig Shah said.

Brig. Shah said resistance from militants was dying down and wireless intercepts suggested that they were running out of ammunition. "We have intercepted
communications which suggest that they are running out of ammunition", he said. He said that a house-to-house search was continuing from the western side of
Kaloosha to the eastern side in Shin Warsak. "

http://www.dawn.com/2004/03/22/top1.htm



I am still not happy with Pakistan's refusal to close with the enemy, using instead long range artillery and gunships, but those actions, in the absence of such strong confirmation as the initial report indicating that the Pakistanis were negotiating with the militants or their supporters, changes things considerably. Without that bit of data, there actions I'm not comfortable with may fall within military discretion of the commander in the field.

Mark, ordinarily, I'd agree, but with the scale of recent Al Qaeda terrorist operations, I'd prefer to have any and all terrorists captured alive if possible. This is the primary reason I am opposed to the use of artillery and gunships, too indiscriminate. Given the terrain, troop concentrations and placement, and the disparity in numbers between the two sides, there seems to be little chance for the enemy to escape, except maybe deeper into the trap.

Al Qaeda is the nexus, the core node through which a great number of connections are made. Connections between charitys with funding, others who operate basic and advanced skills training opportunities, lower level front line terrorist cells having warm bodies and motivation, but not the wherewithal to carry out significant operations. The Al Qaeda high command, and their headquarters in this geographic location is the hub for all of these connections.

Destroying it en masse, interrupts with and obviates the connections in the progress of being made, but capturing same offers us the opportunity to take out the feeder nodes in all directions, which in tunr allows possible intelligence regarding yet another layer of infrastructure.

There are even more significant reasons for the Pakistanis not to take this to its logical conclusion.

Ever set up a snipe hunt?

There is growing speculation that top AQ officials escaped early on via tunnels
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040322/ap_on_re_as/al_qaida_hunt&cid=516&ncid=716

Remind anyone of Tora Bora?
'Once is happenstance, Twice is Co-incidence, three times is enemy action'

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