February 11, 2009 3:38 PM

Pakistan: You Can't Hunt Al Qaeda Here

(AP)  Pakistan reiterated that it will not let American forces hunt al Qaeda and Taliban militants on its soil, after a news report said Sunday that the Bush administration was considering expanding U.S. military and intelligence operations into Pakistan's tribal regions.

The Foreign Ministry dismissed as "speculative" a story in The New York Times saying President Bush's top security officials discussed a proposal Friday to deploy U.S. troops to pursue militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

"We are very clear. Nobody is going to be allowed to do anything here," said Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, the top spokesman for Pakistan's army.

"The government has said it so many times," Arshad said. "No foreign forces will be allowed to operate inside Pakistan."

The Pakistan-Afghanistan border area has long been considered a likely hiding place for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his top deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, as well as an operating ground for tribal Taliban sympathizers.

In Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the report.

Bush's top security advisers - including Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - had debated whether to expand the authority of the CIA and the military to "conduct far more aggressive covert operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan," the Times reported.

Recent reports indicate al Qaeda and the Taliban are "intensifying efforts" to destabilize Pakistan's government, the newspaper said.

It said Bush's security advisers' discussion on the proposal was part of an assessment of Washington's strategy following the Dec. 27 assassination of populist opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a moderate pro-U.S. politician who had vowed to fight Islamic extremists if she was elected in an upcoming parliamentary vote.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, a close U.S. ally in the war against terror, has blamed Baitullah Mehsud, a tribal militant leader allegedly tied to al Qaeda, for Bhutto's death.

Mehsud has reportedly denied involvement.
By Sadaqat Jan

© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 84 Comments
by slpdisk January 9, 2008 12:07 AM EST
Somebody please make it stop....so much fear, oh please help us ,....ahhhhh.. I mean isn''t that what the expected reaction is suppose to be, So much propaganda. Release your minds from the B.S. that clouds the corporate news stations. Turn off the *** and go see Shrek 3.Don''t worry you aren''t missing anything they will have more fear lined up when you get back.
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by rgmiron January 8, 2008 6:51 PM EST
Bush was right in the beginning, " If your not with use, your against USE!
Remove their Nuclear capabilty immediately! The subs must never leave port!!!!
Heads up people
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by keithle1 January 8, 2008 10:19 AM EST
We don''t want anyone getting our friends Al Qaeda upset. We certainly don''t want people finding proof of how corrupt our government is.
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by dogband January 7, 2008 5:58 PM EST
A few million dollars and some extra weapons as gifts will make them change their mind.

Course the weapons may someday be used against us, but thats a trivial concern.

I say, stop all there whimpy programs like Veterans health care, and aid to dependent children, and give the money to the Crazy Country of the Month club.
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by nazar1-2009 January 7, 2008 5:41 PM EST
All I know pashtuns are dying form both sides, from Pakistan side the pashtun has been used to kill pashtuns on the other side. From Afghnaistan side pashtun has been used to kill pashtuns on this side of the border. Unless the pashtuns are united on both side there will neever be peace. In this case the punjabis and farsiwel are against it to recognise pashtuns on both side
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by forthepeopl1 January 7, 2008 1:58 PM EST
we americans give pakistani''s our tax dollars at a rate so far of 11 BILLION DOLLARS..

TIME FOR SOMEONE IN CONGRESS TO SHUT THAT DOWN.........
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by brianbwb-2009 January 7, 2008 6:08 AM EST
"Foreign Ministry Says, Despite Report, U.S. Forces Cannot Engage Militants On Pakistani Soil"

This from the "government" of...

"Pakistan''s President Pervez Musharraf, a close U.S. ally in the war against terror..."

While...

"Benazir Bhutto, a moderate pro-U.S. politician who had vowed to fight Islamic extremists if she was elected in an upcoming parliamentary vote."

...is dead. It doesn''t get any clearer than that, Bush and Musharraf did it, because they want their "Al CIA-da" to remain in place.
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by brianbwb-2009 January 7, 2008 5:42 AM EST
Bush puppet Musharraf is giving Bush the excuse to leave their Al CIA-da operatives in place, as Bush needs them to continue to scare the suckers out of their money. Musharraf is only obeying the orders of his pimps in DC...
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by rowdytexan2 January 6, 2008 11:10 PM EST
Pretty good deal there. The US gives Pakistan 3 billion dollars in a slush fund, plus a few million just for general purposes, then they get it back for weapons bought from our war profiteers and it goes straight into the hands of folks like Hallibuton, etc.

WHATTA BAHGAIN!
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by grazinggoat January 6, 2008 11:03 PM EST
His Eminence, Sheikh Bin Laden could be in Quebec, home to the largest gathering of terrorists, according to Dr. Paul Williams, in his book "THE DAY OF ISLAM; The Annihilation of America and the Western World."

So look 8,000 miles away from Quebec, dreamers...
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Posted by Vet1971 at 07:35 PM : Jan 06, 2008

-Williams is a big liar who released fault information to public about a nuclear material (up to 180 lbs) stolen from McMaster University Nuclear reactor. He is sued now by this institution and he''s apologizing.

-Dr Williams is a lunatic idiot and needs to be interned for his authority position abuse. The same type of CIA-Lied information provider regarding Iraq Intel Walking-Liar got before he was pushed to invade Iraq.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_L._Williams
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