Admiral: Pakistan OKs bigger U.S. role

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Pakistan is taking a more welcoming view of U.S. suggestions for using American troops to train and advise its own forces in the fight against anti-government extremists, the commander of U.S. forces in that region said Wednesday.

Navy Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command, said he believes increased violence inside Pakistan in recent months has led Pakistani leaders to conclude that they must focus more intensively on extremist al-Qaida hideouts near the border with Afghanistan.

He called this an important change from Pakistan's traditional focus on India as the main threat to its security, and it meshes with Defense Secretary Robert Gates' recent comment that al-Qaida terrorists hiding in the border area are increasingly aiming their campaign of violence at targets inside Pakistan.

"They see they've got real problems internally," Fallon said in a 20-minute interview with three reporters accompanying Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a private conference here of military chiefs from Middle Eastern countries, hosted by Fallon.




Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080116/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_pakistan

[snappyturtle]

1. Why do I get a queezy feeling when reading this article? It just

makes me uncomfortable. :hide:

[Ghost Dog]

7. US 'advisers' very familiar to South Americans... n/t

ed. or 'advisors' if you prefer.

[bemildred]

2. Oh good, "military trainers and advisors" in Pakistan.

Where have I heard this before? Three or four years from now we can have stories about how Pakistanis need to stand up to fight for Pakistan, so we can stand down, etc. etc.

[LynnTheDem]

3. Since the vast majority of Pakistan citizens OPPOSE US troops

in their country, I assume by "Pakistan approves" they really mean "Mushie approves".

[DCKit]

4. Guess *'s made Perv's dependence on this administration's support clear enough.

Now he'll knuckle under and be a good monkey. For a while.

[Tempest]

5. In other words

Pakistan is being brided with millions in military aid.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. Oh, boy.

This sure to go over in Pakistan like a lead balloon.