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Afghanistan/South Asia
U.S. troops cross into Pakistan, locals say
2004-05-24
About 130 U.S. troops have crossed from Afghanistan into Pakistan looking for Taliban or al Qaeda fighters, Pakistani intelligence sources and local authorities said Sunday, in what is believed to be the fifth such operation in two weeks. The Americans crossed into the Pakistani tribal territory of North Waziristan on Saturday after exchanging "hard words" with Pakistani border scouts, intelligence sources said. Local officials said the U.S. convoy included 14 vehicles and an estimated 130 troops. It was the second time in less than a week that U.S. troops crossed the border without Pakistani permission. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri on Friday called the incursions "totally unacceptable" and said they would only encourage critics of Pakistan’s cooperation with the United States. Three other incursions were reported the previous week, and Pakistan has officially protested two of the violations. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Saturday that if the reports are true, "it would be unhelpful. I’m sure it would be an accident, and we’ll take precautions to make sure it doesn’t happen again," he said.
Posted by:Paul Moloney

#14  

The Death Star is only held by the Empire,
Master Shep
{Heavy Breath}
Posted by: Darth V.   2004-05-24 12:32:51 PM  

#13  Also where the US is gonna launch its Death Star from don't forget.
Posted by: Shep UK   2004-05-24 12:06:10 PM  

#12  that's MOOLA you ignorant freak!

Yeah. Besides, everyone knows that the opium fields are under the protection of the CIA. The military is clearing the way for the oil pipeline.
Posted by: Steve   2004-05-24 11:59:16 AM  

#11  Border? Is there a border around here?
Posted by: BigEd   2004-05-24 11:16:06 AM  

#10  Howard UK: Says it all about the Paks that they have one of the most sophisticated and heavily guarded border defences in the world 'defending' themselves from the democratic India yet don't have so much as a fairy light delineating themselves from the lawlessness of Afghanistan.

Their border defenses can't be all that hot - they've been defeated twice by India. Note that India's not infiltrating fanatical Hindu terrorists into Pakistan, so these defenses have not been tested against terrorist infiltrators. Note also that the Pakistani military can't be strong everywhere - its priority, and thus most of its manpower and material assets, has to be on the India-Pakistan border - Afghanistan isn't likely to be in a position to launch a full-scale invasion of Pakistan anytime soon.

Are the Pakistanis nuts to view India as a military threat today? Yes. But given their assumption of an Indian military threat, it is entirely rational to put their best units on the border with India, rather than on the border with Afghanistan.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2004-05-24 11:06:15 AM  

#9  that's MOOLA you ignorant freak! If you're gonna troll, at least be competent at it....Sheesh!
Posted by: Frank G   2004-05-24 10:46:24 AM  

#8  Hark! Sounds like the rare lop-earred
euroheathen troll.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-05-24 10:17:35 AM  

#7  "#6 KABUL: The U.S. military said today its troops based in Afghanistan had not strayed into Pakistani territory in the hunt for al Qaeda and Taliban.."

No they're too busy guarding the opium poppies. The US mint is running outa mula to use up its quota of "In God we Trust" stampings and needs the change.
Posted by: yorgos   2004-05-24 9:49:54 AM  

#6  KABUL: The U.S. military said today its troops based in Afghanistan had not strayed into Pakistani territory in the hunt for al Qaeda and Taliban militants since May 2, despite complaints in Islamabad that they had. A spokesman for the 20,000-strong U.S.-led force in Afghanistan told a regular news briefing in Kabul that he hoped such allegations did not distract from the "war on terror".

"Wasn't us, musta been dem eskimos again"
Posted by: Steve   2004-05-24 9:33:00 AM  

#5  "I’m sure it would be an accident, and we’ll take precautions to make sure it doesn’t happen again," he said.

"I'll send Secretary Rumsfeld a note."
Posted by: Steve   2004-05-24 8:30:02 AM  

#4  The failure of the Pak army against the Pak subsidiary of Al Q is pretty frustrating to the Pak political biggies. In truth the Paks are probably hoping that America will do their work for them while hoping that nobody will notice.
Posted by: mhw   2004-05-24 8:17:30 AM  

#3  Says it all about the Paks that they have one of the most sophisticated and heavily guarded border defences in the world 'defending' themselves from the democratic India yet don't have so much as a fairy light delineating themselves from the lawlessness of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Howard UK   2004-05-24 7:31:46 AM  

#2  Good point,AzCat.
Does the Az in your name signify Arizona?
Posted by: Raptor   2004-05-24 7:31:33 AM  

#1  I find it utterly amazing that the Paks seem to know within minutes of any US incursion but are utterly incapable of finding even one of the hundreds (or thousands) of foreign jihadis in their midst.
Posted by: AzCat   2004-05-24 6:36:50 AM  

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