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U.S Military Base Completed Adjacent to Pakistan Border

by John Astad | January 29, 2008 at 11:53 pm

2425 views | 18 Recommendations | 3 comments

With the rising conflict occuring in the Pakistan tribal areas between governmental security forces and the Taliban jihadists the situation has gotten out of control for President Musharraf's Frontier Corps. Help is soon on the way.

Another piece of the United States' regional jigsaw is in place with the completion of a military base in Afghanistan's Kunar province, just three kilometers from Bajaur Agency in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

It's been no secret that a military base was being constructed in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan close to the Pakastani border as reported back in July 2007 by Syed Saleem Shahzhad, the Pakistan's Bureau Chief of Asia Times Online

As a result, a large US base is under construction on a mountaintop at Ghakhi Pass on the Pakistan-Afghanistan (Bajaur) border.

Militants believe this is in preparation for an operation inside Pakistan to clamp down on them as well as to renew the hunt for bin Laden and his associates. As a result, the militants have attacked the new base in an attempt to delay its construction.

So we now move fast forward six months later and with additional pressure on the Islamabad administration to clamp down on the growing turmoil in the Pakistan Tribal Areas.

The top two American intelligence officials traveled secretly to Pakistan early this month to press President Pervez Musharraf to allow the Central Intelligence Agency greater latitude to operate in the tribal territories where Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other militant groups are all active, according to several officials who have been briefed on the visit.

It's a fine line that President Musharraf must walk between the pressure he is recieving from fellow Muslim countrymen in contrast to American military efforts to rid the region as haven for future terrorists.

"American special forces have carried out clandestine operations in the past, and Pakistan was not informed. The Taliban and al-Qaeda also did not realize what was happening with the quick-as-a-wink hit-and-run operations in the tribal areas. Pakistani intelligence only knew of the operations after they happened.

It's like two sides of a coin, on one side anti-American sentiments with roots of past British imperialism coupled with centuries of historical invasions going all the way back to Alexander the Great and then on the other side the ideals of democracy and liberty for all. To add more fuel on the fire is the upcoming Pakistani elections with over a dozen political parties jockeying for position

Map of Tribal Areas and Districts

Google Map Pakistan

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Brian A Kennedy

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:39 on January 30th, 2008

great story, watermon. Thanks for this.

Rob Walker

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 05:44 on January 30th, 2008

watermon, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Swan

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:11 on January 30th, 2008

Hello Watermon,

This report was excellent! It was great to read your commentary in between the quotes and read your personal views of what's happening over there. Well done!
~ Swan