Pakistan Fighting Forces Thousands To Flee

U.N.: Army Assault On Militants In Tribal Region Forces 20,000 Across Afghan Border

(AP)  Fighting between Pakistani troops and militants in a tribal region has forced some 20,000 Pakistanis to seek refuge across the border in eastern Afghanistan, the U.N.'s refugee agency said Monday.

Nearly 4,000 families have fled Pakistan's Bajur tribal agency into Afghanistan's Kunar province, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement.

Bajur is the most northerly of Pakistan's wild tribal regions, several of which have fallen largely under the control of militants opposed to the Afghan and Pakistani governments.

According to Pakistani officials, the fighting in Bajur has displaced as many as 500,000 people. Most have found shelter with relatives across northwestern Pakistan, though about 100,000 have taken refuge in camps set up by Pakistani authorities.

Pakistan's army claims to have killed more than 1,000 militants in the two-month-old offensive in Bajur. It has declined to estimate casualties among civilians.

Pakistan's border region is considered a likely hiding place for al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

"In the last two weeks alone, over 600 Pakistani families have fled into Afghanistan," the UNHCR said. "While the vast majority of them are living with their relatives and friends, there are already some 200 families who live in the open air."

The UNHCR said it believes the majority of those who have crossed into Afghanistan will return home once the fighting stops.

U.S. officials have praised the operation in Bajur, which Pakistan's army says has been serving as a sanctuary for insurgents fighting on both sides of the border.

Militants use Pakistan's tribal areas as a base for their operations inside Pakistan but also for cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. The number of attacks along the border with Pakistan in eastern Afghanistan has gone up by 30 percent this year compared with 2007.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, the top U.S. commander in eastern Afghanistan, which borders Bajur, told The Associated Press last week he was encouraged by Pakistan's offensive, but hadn't yet seen a drop in the number of militants crossing the border.

"We need a persistent series of operations by Pakistan over a lengthier period of time before we see a change there," Schloesser said.

The existence of sanctuaries in Pakistan, and the ability of Taliban and al Qaeda fighters to reconstitute there after they were pushed out of Afghanistan in 2001, has prompted a number of U.S. attacks inside Pakistan.

A raid by American commandos into Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal areas on Sept. 3 angered many in Pakistan.

[samsel3]

Karzai is protecting a US led consortium for the TAPI Caspian Sea Pipeline which will supply Southeast Asian markets. Additionaly, 1.6 billion barrels of oil,in the Afghan-Tajik Basin, and 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, in the Amu Darya Basin will be exploited.
The Taliban reneged on an agreement with Big Oil & Gas before the invasion holding out for a larger share of pipeline tariffs for their people. The US decided a regime change was a better choice.

Mullah Omar said: "There are thousands of security forces ... and it is clear that they are criminal, thieves, and the people can not trust the security forces at all,"
February 12, 1998 John J. Maresca vp of UNOCAL oil appeared before a House sub committee. The purpose of the meeting was to gain support for exploitation of oil & natural gas resources, for the rights purchased by BIG OIL in the Caspian Sea area.

In his testimony he stated, "The key question is how the energy resources of Central Asia can be made available to nearby Asian markets ".

The exploitation option stated : "One obvious route south would cross Iran, but this is foreclosed by American companies because of U.S. sanctions (with Iran ) . The only other possible route is across Afghanistan,.....".

[samsel3]

On 24 April 2008, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan led by a US Oil & Gas consortium signed an agreement to buy natural gas from Turkmenistan. Asian Development Bank money is one of the financial sources with possible re-entry of the World Bank.

The 1,040 mi pipeline runs from Dauletabad gas field to Afghanistan. The TAPI will be constructed from Herat to Kandahar, and then via Quetta and Multan in Pakistan. The end of the pipeline will be the Indian town of Fazilka, at the border between Pakistan and India.

[mrvolleyba11]

wagolf1 (aka Adolf1) your an idiot, and an obvious anti-semetic. As I recall muslims/Arabs, PLO were the ones to attack Israel in all of their wars.

[inketolstoy]

Maybe we are doing good in Afghanistan if that''s the good neighborhood to live in now.

[questionnews]

Nancy_Naive is no lady!

Posted by proisrael at 03:42 PM : Sep 29, 2008

More like the Pat character from Saturday Night Live.

[pircolator]

People who are displaced should be awarded refuge and asylum VISAs of the U.S. We should allow them to live in the U.S.
I feel pity on the Pakistanis who are displaced.

Tom, U.K

FINE!! LET THEM LIVE WITH YOU..

[erasmus81]

jlmcscanner - She''''''''s needs a reality check
Posted by guyfrompa49 at 10:51 AM : Sep 29, 2008

Wanna try it, Pvssy?
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 11:48 AM : Sep 29, 2008


Nancy_Naive - You''''re kidding me right?
Posted by guyfrompa49 at 02:08 PM : Sep 29, 2008

Nancy_Naive - Now is that any way for a lady to speak?
Posted by guyfrompa49 at 02:13 PM : Sep 29, 2008

Nancy_Naive is no lady.
Posted by proisrael at 03:42 PM : Sep 29, 2008


Hahahaha, that is too funny!

[leftyintexas]

Too bad DUMBYA wasn''t man enough to go after Bin Laden like he was supposed to do. But then DUMBYA not much of a man to begin with.

[jamster31]

Maybe enough people will be sick of the mess and give up Bin Laden, if he''s even still there.

[jlmcscanner]

If this happen in the US, who would come help US,


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Posted by aothah at 12:07 PM : Sep 29, 2008

Nobody that`s who....maybe England.

[jlmcscanner]

Best of both worlds to go from fanatical islamic culture to "Modern" day communists.Your hammer and sickle is showing.
Posted by jlmcscanner

Some people really love(d) the "cold war". What MORON''''s you and your fellow right wing-nuts are!!! Go worship at the Ronnie Re **** memorial.

I`ll buy you a one way ticket to Moscow so you can live with the socialists, oh and please take the hollywood freaks like yourself with you.

[petro49l]

George W. Bush promised the Saudis that Bin Laden will not be touched by the Coalition. He refuses to authorize military action in Waziristan. Afghani Soldiers are also ordered to defend Osama''s sanctuary. Al Qada secretly produces tar heroin for international deals.

[bm6005]

Best of both worlds to go from fanatical islamic culture to "Modern" day communists.Your hammer and sickle is showing.
Posted by jlmcscanner

Some people really love(d) the "cold war". What MORON''s you and your fellow right wing-nuts are!!! Go worship at the Ronnie Re **** memorial.

[petro49l]

George W. Bush encourages fighting between the Coalition and Pakistan. The hostility justifies the high price for oil. The Saudis insist that Bush initiate a war against Iran. Tehran has made several attempts to reduce the cost for a barrel of oil. OPEC ordered George Bush to protect Osama Bin Laden in Waziristan. Al Qada is the lead for dealing illicit tar heroin from the region.

[jlmcscanner]

Nancy_Naive - It''''s quite apparent that you hate America. Not sure if you''''re an American but if you are then you''''re a discrace. If you hate this country so much then why are you here?


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Posted by guyfrompa49 at 09:36 AM : Sep 29, 2008

She`s here because of the standard of living and the freemdom she enjoys.Riping this country was bought with the sacrifice of countless REAL Americans.... self sacrifice is not something she is even capable of.She is a PARASITE.

[jlmcscanner]

It`s too bad that it had to come to this for the innocent people in those tribal areas. Evil infiltrated their villages, most likely welcomed by some blinded with a like mind.

Posted by promaclaura at 07:30 AM : Sep 29, 2008

Whereas in America, we vote evil in.


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Posted by Nancy_Naive at 08:55 AM : Sep 29, 2008

If you don`t like it hear then become a "Pakistani" tribal girl, something tells me you will make a good one plus you can help them to be "good" communists and hate America for everything.Best of both worlds to go from fanatical islamic culture to "Modern" day communists.Your hammer and sickle is showing.

[jckbrn-2009]

More ''responsible'' reporting by the ''media'' - -
Pakistani troops / militants forced 20,000 Pakistanis -- - -
4,000 families fled - - -
500,000 people displaced - - -
100,000 in camps - - -
Pakistani''s army killed 1,000 militants - -
30% increase in border attacks - - -
A RAID BY AMERICANS ANGERED MANY - - -
all with no byline or authorship or responsibility for truth and accuracy ? ? ? ? ?
GEEEZ ! ! !

[promaclaura]

Nobody knows how many of these "refugees " are terrorists from this wild Pakistani frontier.


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Posted by ozonmojo at 08:20 AM : Sep 29, 2008

Cowards mingling among the innocent.

[ozonmojo]

Nobody knows how many of these "refugees " are terrorists from this wild Pakistani frontier.

[babooph]

This leaves two "wishes"-one that this calms all down-two that it has not already destroyed the US middle class-paying off the idiocy for generations.