U.S. Military Allowed Cross Border Pursuits into Pakistan > 3 years W/O PAK APPROVAL....

[Flabbergasted]

Pakistan has long viewed such incursions as a threat to its sovereignty.

U.S. allowed pursuit of suspects into Pakistan
August 24, 2007

BY SCOTT LINDLAW

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Newly uncovered so-called rules of engagement show the U.S. military gave elite units authority more than three years ago to pursue suspected terrorists into Pakistan, with no mention of telling the country's officials in advance.

The documents offer a glimpse at what Army Rangers and other units were authorized to do. Interviews with military officials suggest some guidelines have remained in place, such as the right to "hot pursuit" across the border.

Pakistan has long viewed such incursions as a threat to its sovereignty.

The government protested this month when Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., pledged that if elected, he would grant U.S. forces authority to unilaterally penetrate Pakistan in the hunt for terrorism leaders. Washington repeated assurances it would consult before any such incursions.

But summaries of the rules of engagement on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in April 2004 say chasing Al Qaeda leaders across the frontier was fair game.

As for geographic limits, one memo says: "General rule: penetrate no deeper than 10 km," or 6.2 miles.

Told of the guidelines, Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad said, "This is all nonsense. Pakistan never allowed the coalition forces to enter into our territory while chasing militants. There was no such agreement, there was no such understanding."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070824/NEWS07/708240392/1009

[4dsc]

1. The center for terrorism lies in Pakistan

Lets face it, Iraq is not the center for terrorism but rather its Iraq and we should be fighting terrorist there..

[Flabbergasted]

2. Pakistan is not the "center of terrorism" BTW how do we fight a tactic?

[BuyingThyme]

3. That's quite an opening for Barack.

He can debate the Chimp publicly and made Clinton look like small-time.

[Flabbergasted]

4. Somehow I doubt he'll ever bring this up. nt

[Taverner]

5. Not the best way to do it, but there are, in fact, al queda camps there

Of course my solution involves just one incursion by special ops, trained to go into the camp Bin Laden lives in, verify he's there then raze the camp and everyone in it.

Bring back Bin Laden's head as proof. Bury it wrapped in bacon, facing away from Mecca ;)

[Flabbergasted]

6. Pakistan: No bin Laden, al-Qaeda training camps here

Pakistan: No bin Laden, al-Qaeda training camps here
Posted 2/28/2007 10:48 AM ET

Mike McConnell
AP

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan on Wednesday rejected a claim by the U.S. intelligence chief that Osama bin Laden and his deputy were hiding in northwestern Pakistan, and that al-Qaeda was setting up camps near the Afghan border.
Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao, told The Associated Press there were no al-Qaeda training camps in his country and U.S. officials had not provided any intelligence suggesting there were.

"We will act on any such intelligence, but so far they have not" provided any, he said.

Sherpao's comments came a day after Mike McConnell, the new U.S. intelligence chief, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that al-Qaeda was trying to set up operations in largely ungoverned parts of Pakistan's northwest, along Afghanistan's eastern border.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-02-28-pakistan-bin-laden_x.htm

[Taverner]

10. Well we would need a specific target

Look I'm not saying we invade and start combing the caves for him

I'm just saying if we have real intelligence that he is in X cave then go in with a team of 5.

[obama_girl]

7. great, widen the war

Worked so well in Cambodia

[DURHAM D]

8. Didn't Biden tell us this at the labor debate?

In other words - he was trying to say it was a false position/argument.

[VP505]

9. Yes Biden did say

that this has been the policy of the Admin. What the hell makes anyone think that if the Bu$h Admin had something to gain that they wouldn't go into whatever country to grab him. They get so much more propaganda value out of OBL on the loose (if he is even still alive) than they would if he was captured or killed why would they want it any other way?