| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan faces 'existential threat': Petraeus |
| 2008-09-25 |
| PARIS (AFP) - Extremist forces threaten the very existence of Pakistan, the incoming US commander in the region warned Thursday, as tension mounted between NATO and Pakistani forces on the Afghan frontier. General David Petraeus, who will take charge of US forces in southwest Asia and the Middle East next month, told reporters that Pakistani and US-led troops would have to work together to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda."Pakistan faces a threat that certainly seems to be an existential threat," he said, at a press conference at the US embassy in Paris. Petraeus described the common enemy as a "syndicate" uniting "some true Al-Qaeda, some Taliban and in between different forms of extremist movements, which are very much contributing to the problem in Afghanistan." The general was speaking shortly after it was confirmed that Pakistani forces had fired warning shots at US military helicopters operating under NATO command near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Islamabad claims to be fighting the armed groups in its unruly borderlands, despite allegations of collusion between its security forces and Islamic militants launching cross border attacks on Afghan and NATO troops. But Pakistan has also reacted angrily to US airstrikes -- and a reported commando raid -- on its side of the border and the army has vowed to defend its sovereignty, even if that means clashes with US forces. Petraeus said he had yet to be briefed on the incident in which the helicopters were fired upon, and refused to be drawn on the circumstances in which he would order a cross-border operation. Instead, he insisted that he would work in cooperation with the Pakistani military, which he said faced the same threat."I think the only real answer that I can give you at a forum like this is just to say that there has to be coordination, cooperation and very constructive dialogue as that effort goes forward. As was shown tragically and horrifically in the Marriott Hotel bombing, these same extremist elements again represent a true existential threat to Pakistan itself," he said, referring to an attack on Saturday in Islamabad. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #3 POST-GEORGIA > the US-Allies is now in new war agz Radical Islam for the de facto control and domination of mainland Asia and any peripheral areas. JAN 2009 + POST-DUBYA POTUS PERIOD > as long as the US, etc. keeps itself to IRAQ-AFGHANISTAN, or even redux, RADICLA ISLAMISM INTENDS TO RAMPAGE, DESTABILIZE, AND EMPOWER OR ESTABLISH PRO-ISLAMIST ARMED ENCLAVES, POLITICAL ORGS AND LOCAL NETWORKS AMAP THROUGHOUT ASIA. It desires not only to rebuild and recoup its Manpower, $$$ and Materiel losses from fighting the US-Allies, but also to "hedge" and increase its odds of successfully going NUCLEAR EVEN IFF IRAN, ETC GETS ATTACKED AND INVADED BY THE US = US-ALLIES. As RUSH LIMBAUGH once labeled, LE QUESTIONNE > WILL THE VARIOUS NATION-STATES OF ASIA, ESPEC BIGGIES RUSSIA + CHINA + INDIA + JAPAN, TOLERATE OR ACCEPT LOCAL-REGIONAL US INTERVENTION, DOMINATION AND CONTROL TO PROTECT AGZ RADICAL ISLAM??? Lest we fergit, MAD/RADICAL MULLAHS > ENVIRO-RESOURCE CRISES, GREAT POWERS MILPOL CONFRONTATIONISM, + EVEN MUTUAL DESTRUCTION, ETC. ANARCHIES AND CHAOSES, IS TO ISLAM'S = ISLAMISM'S ADVANTAGE. More popularly known as IFF WE DON'T GET OUR WAY OR WE DON'T RULE, NOBODY ELSE WILL! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-09-25 22:39 |
| #2 the army has vowed to defend its sovereignty Which has ever been a major problem -- it being the sovereignty of the Army of the Pure that matters, not that of the Country of the Pure. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-09-25 18:10 |
| #1 it's hard too work with someone who is also backing your enemy |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-09-25 17:40 |