US general says Pakistan could be just two weeks from collapse

[ThoughtCriminal]

US general says Pakistan could be just two weeks from collapse

American officials have watched with growing anxiety as Taliban fighters have strengthened their grip on north-western Pakistan.

Militants advanced to within 60 miles of Islamabad, the capital, last month and were pushed back only when the US put pressure on Pakistan to launch a counter-offensive.

Gen Petraeus, the head of Central Command, which covers all US forces in the Middle East and south Asia, is reported to have said that “the Pakistanis have run out of excuses” and now accept that tough action has to be taken to guarantee the government’s survival.

Gen Petraeus, who oversaw the American troop surge credited with quelling the insurgency in Iraq, is reported to have wearied of Pakistan’s excuses for failing to take on the Taliban.

According to Fox News, he told colleagues “we have heard it all before”.

He is reported to have urged concrete action to destroy the Taliban in the next two weeks before determining the United States’ next course of action.

Gen Petraeus made the assessment in private talks with congressmen and members of the senate, according to Fox.

Senior officials in President Barack Obama’s administration are said to have more confidence in Pakistan’s army, led by Gen Ashfaq Kayani, than President Asif Ali Zardari’s civilian government.

Hillary Clinton last week publicly accused Islamabad of “abdicating to the Taliban”.

The issue is likely to come to a head when Mr Zardari visits Washington next week with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan for a tripartite summit with Mr Obama.

Gen Petraeus’s comments came amid an escalating battle between security forces and Taliban militants yesterday.

Fighting in Buner district, just 60 miles from Islamabad, left up to 60 dead even as Pakistan’s government pressed on yesterday with a much-criticised peace plan in the region, officials said.

Maj Gen Athar Abbas, a spokesman for the Pakistani army, said at least 55 militants had been killed in the previous 24 hours, bringing to more than 100 the total dead since the offensive began on Tuesday. Two Pakistani soldiers were killed and eight others injured when weapons they were destroying exploded.

Gen Abbas said ground troops backed by helicopter gunships destroyed nine suicide vehicles and six vehicles of “fleeing militants”.

Three “suicide motorcyclists” were also shot dead by ground troops advancing on narrow mountain tracks while a suicide bomber blew up a booby-trapped house, killing two paramilitary soldiers and wounding eight others. it took Pakistan’s overall losses to 13 during the offensive.

Gen Abbas said the militants included foreign fighters who were well organised and armed with mortars and anti-aircraft machine guns.

The militants were still in control of parts of Buner valley, although Pakistani troops had secured the main town of Daggar after helicopters dropped forces behind enemy lines. In another district, Upper Dir, more than 50 militants stormed the headquarters of a paramilitary force and kidnapped 10 people.

Buner, Upper and Lower Dir are part of the North West Frontier Province’s Malakand Division, where the government agreed to allow Islamic law in February if militants gave up violence in their stronghold of Swat valley.

In recent days, the Pakistani army has sought to reverse that tide, retaking control of strategic points in the district of Buner even as the Taliban struck back by kidnapping scores of police and paramilitary troops.

It remains unclear whether the Taliban truly seeks to overthrow Mr Zardari’s government or merely to carve out a territory within Pakistan in which it can establish safe haven, impose Sharia law, and plot attacks on external targets.

[headcase]

That's wonderful.... these monkeys have nukes, we can not allow their stupid country of idiots to allow nukes to be secured by the taliban. I vote we level the whole shithole.

[MichaelJ]

I wonder if NATO or the UN has a plan for when/if the taliban forces gain control of a nuke site. Or is it going to be a game of nucelar chicken to get the other guy to use their resources? Then we can play the unaccounted nuclear material game for the next few months until we forget about it.

Hey at least it will distract from domestic issues!

[Bug44]

I vote we send Obama over to talk to the Taliban since he is all about foreign relations...

[headcase]

I vote we send Obama over to talk to the Taliban since he is all about foreign relations...

Didn't he do that a few years back already?.......

[Pector55]

I vote we send Obama over to talk to the Taliban since he is all about foreign relations...

I vote ney! I don't want them cutting off his head and this country's top 3 being Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. W-T-F?

I vote for marching an army of pigs over the mountains to infect the tribal areas with swine flu.

[Morel42]

I wonder if NATO or the UN has a plan for when/if the taliban forces gain control of a nuke site. Or is it going to be a game of nucelar chicken to get the other guy to use their resources? Then we can play the unaccounted nuclear material game for the next few months until we forget about it.

Hey at least it will distract from domestic issues!

I'm almost positive that the Military has a contingency plan.

Now, the question is if they'll be allowed to use that plan. If we don't hit the sites, Israel (who will "magically" have the sites locations and defenses) will.

When it comes to a nuke that can reach them, they usually blow shit up first and then worry about what happens next.

Although, I have to admit. I'm not proud of the fact that even my "bleeding liberal Heart" wouldn't mind turning the entire middle east/western Asia into a glass parking lot. I feel horrible about it. But damn it all to hell, how much bullshit, mayhem, and chaos can one little tiny area of the world cause 6 billion people before we say enough is enough?

"Dear Pakistan, Iran, etc etc.. Get your shit straight or you won't exist anymore. We have 25,000 ICBM's (If you count Russia's) You have like 4. Do the math and stop being jerks.."

Signed,
-The World.

[Guns4Fun]

I'm almost positive that the Military has a contingency plan.

Now, the question is if they'll be allowed to use that plan. If we don't hit the sites, Israel (who will "magically" have the sites locations and defenses) will.

When it comes to a nuke that can reach them, they usually blow shit up first and then worry about what happens next.

Although, I have to admit. I'm not proud of the fact that even my "bleeding liberal Heart" wouldn't mind turning the entire middle east/western Asia into a glass parking lot. I feel horrible about it. But damn it all to hell, how much bullshit, mayhem, and chaos can one little tiny area of the world cause 6 billion people before we say enough is enough?


"Dear Pakistan, Iran, etc etc.. Get your shit straight or you won't exist anymore. We have 25,000 ICBM's (If you count Russia's) You have like 4. Do the math and stop being jerks.."

Signed,
-The World.

Wow Morel42, you are shocking me - are you okay? Did you hit your head over the weekend? I never in a million years thought i'd hear a statement like that from you. Wow, crazy things happen every day. I think this rain we are getting is going to turn to snow.

Maybe it has something to do with pigs flying - or swine flu.

I agree with your comments 100%. When does the world finally say enough is enough.

[adymond]

I'm almost positive that the Military has a contingency plan.

Now, the question is if they'll be allowed to use that plan. If we don't hit the sites, Israel (who will "magically" have the sites locations and defenses) will.

When it comes to a nuke that can reach them, they usually blow shit up first and then worry about what happens next.

Although, I have to admit. I'm not proud of the fact that even my "bleeding liberal Heart" wouldn't mind turning the entire middle east/western Asia into a glass parking lot. I feel horrible about it. But damn it all to hell, how much bullshit, mayhem, and chaos can one little tiny area of the world cause 6 billion people before we say enough is enough?

"Dear Pakistan, Iran, etc etc.. Get your shit straight or you won't exist anymore. We have 25,000 ICBM's (If you count Russia's) You have like 4. Do the math and stop being jerks.."

Signed,
-The World.

Damn it all to hell. Rep NAZIs suck taint. Who are you and what did you do to Morel?

[phillyd2]

The nukes should be very safe, relax. Be worried about the fuel but not the actual warheads.