Al-Qaida based in Pak: White House Chief of Staff

by israeli.agent | October 19, 2009 at 08:24 pm

137 views | 36 Recommendations | 11 comments

Finally US top officials 'discovered' that where the terrorist organization Al Qaeda is based in - Pakistan.

This revealation is made by Rahm Emanuel, the White House Chief of Staff, told the CNN in an interview.

A top Obama aide today said the al-Qaida is based in Pakistan and that the US would "not rush" in finalising the new strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"This is where al-Qaida is based. Not just in Afghanistan, it's clear that they're based in Pakistan," Rahm Emanuel, the White House Chief of Staff, told the CNN in an interview.

"What is the relationship between the Taliban? Are there different grades of a Taliban? That is what the analysis is going on in the situation room, and I think the comfort for the American people is the president will not be rushed to making a decision without asking firm questions and challenging the assumptions behind those questions," Emanuel said.

Five such meetings - each spreading over three hours - have been held so far and more are scheduled for the next two weeks, he said.

Emanuel said the Administration would not rush through its decision on Afghanistan and Pakistan and would take its own time to take a call on it.

From what Emanuel says, it seems that US is still trying to categorize the Taliban terrorists to see if there is "good Taliban and bad Taliban "- A mistake that made by Pakistan and now bleeding the country.

“What is the relationship between the Taliban? Are there different grades of a Taliban? That is what the analysis is going on in the situation room, and I think the comfort for the American people is the President will not be rushed to making a decision without asking firm questions and challenging the assumptions behind those questions,” Mr. Emanuel said.

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sara star

at 00:05 on October 20th, 2009

Somebody has got to know what is going on. What are your thoughts?

albertacowpoke

at 01:12 on October 20th, 2009

They're doing an analysis of bad or good Taliban? Revelation, the Taliban also operate out of Pakistan.

Could it be that the analysis and development of a new strategy for Afghanistan/Al Quaeda is being delayed to pass Health Care Reform and that Afghanistan having brought to the forefront is a distraction to that goal?

nanute

at 08:44 on October 20th, 2009

ACP,

I think I mentioned this good./bad Taliban issue to you via e mail the other day. I gotta ask agent, just what should the administration be doing on policy in regard to Pakistan and Afghanistan? Are you in favor of sending 60,000 more troops. If so, toward what end? Shall we invade Pakistan? Recent events in Pakistan by the "authorities" has been met with an increase of attacks on military and police agencies. The foreign aid being given to Pakistan by the US, is a continuation of the previous administration's policy. Shall we abandon aid to Pakistan? If you are interested in an in depth look at the Afghanistan, and by extension Pakistan issue, see this past weeks Sunday NY Times Magazine piece by Dexter Filkins, entitled "His Long War. Is it Just Too Late-Politically-and Militarily- For Gen. McCrystal to Win In Afghanistan? " If your intent was just to belittle the administration, which the photo that accompanies your headline implies, don't bother reading the piece.

israeli.agent

at 10:12 on October 21st, 2009

"just what should the administration be doing on policy in regard to Pakistan and Afghanistan?"

Nanute,

It is a good question, what the administration should do. The answer is , not even think of finding a good Taliban. What the US faces in Afghanistan and Iraq now is the very own Frankenstein it created to counter Soviet Communism. No one in the US administration is ever foresee that their beloved "mujahideen" and "Students" will turn into what they are now - Al Qaeda and Taliban. History has an amazing ability to repeat itself. If at all McCrystal, with all his honesty and good will manages to find a bunch of "good" Tallies, that would be just patching the big hole with darkness.

What the administration must do? Simple - decide what they want to achieve. Do they want some kind of stop-gap arrangement so that the current administration can save the face and to an extend the rear or a permanent solution? If the first one is what it has in it's 'mind', then yeah, they can go ahead with mission "good Tallies".

If they wants to have a long lasting and somewhat final solution, then this is what they really need to do. Isolate 'all' Taliban from the Afghan population. Cut off the Tallie financial support network.Cut off donations from Saudi Arabia. Wipe off all Taliban.

If that takes sending 60,000 more troops, think that as a historic debt.

Invading Pakistan..? LOL..Are you kidding? Do you think that US will ever do that even after they know that Pakistan holds 60 plus 'Islamic' lollipops? All the US needs to do is ask Pakistan why did they tolerate the "Madrassa Students" once their utility is expired. I bet they will get some good answer.

Sorry for the late reply, but It took me some time to read Dexter's article in complete. Nice read, I must admit. I liked this part, from Page 7

SHORTLY AFTER HIS ARRIVAL in Afghanistan in June 2009, McChrystal sat down with the commanders of the 82nd Airborne Division, which oversees a broad swath of eastern Afghanistan. The briefing, given by the 82nd’s officers, was sophisticated but sobering: corruption in the Afghan government is pervasive, the officers said; the insurgency, supported from Pakistan, is resilient. Every valley and every village is different, each its own patchwork of ethnic groups and tribes, each with its own history. The Americans are having to learn them all.

Are the Americans really learning?

.Agent.

nanute

at 12:36 on October 21st, 2009

Agent,

Thanks for the response. With all due respect regarding your Taliban solution.,McCrystal has stated unequivocally, that you can't kill em all, their number isn't finite. That is not to say that you stop killing them. The strategy seems to be make them bring the fight to us. Will it work? Time will tell. If we give the mission enough time. Unfortunately, as McCrystal said to the local village elder: "I work for a lot of impatient people." Once the next election cycle here at home kicks in, politics will make this conflict all the more difficult to achieve. There is already a growing chorus, on both sides of the political divide, that are saying enough already.

The primary objectives now, like it or not, are minimizing civilian casualties and building infrastructure. Establishing some sort of functioning government, be it regionally based, tribal based or centrally based is also part of the equation. It sounds like state, local and federal gov't. for lack of a better analogy.

I'm not a big fan of "nation building" through the barrel of a gun. You can intimidate locals to bend to your will with force, but once you leave, and we can't stay indefinitely, it will be back to tribal and regional conflicts. It will also strengthen the insurgency's ability to add to the base of support it already has.

All of the options and strategy objectives carry multiple risk factors. A favorable outcome looks very tenuous at best. In the end, Filkins question " Or is it too late," might be true. For our sake and the lives of those that have shed their blood in our name, I hope not.

best, nanute

nanute

at 14:06 on October 20th, 2009

The good/bad Taliban is part of Gen. McCrystal's plan. Trying to get low to intermediate level supporters to change sides is part of the strategy he invasions. Like it or not.

Hugh Askew

at 11:03 on October 20th, 2009

Could it be that neither al-Qaida, nor the Taliban had registered voters in Chicago?

That would explain the administration being so obviously clueless on this issue.

If we could get them free health care, would they see things our way? If so, i may change my mind on Obamacare.

israeli.agent

at 09:27 on October 20th, 2009

"If we could get them free health care, would they see things our way?"

Excellent Idea. Please make sure that the poppy pills supplied are cut in "Halal" way.

.Agent.

sara star

at 09:05 on October 20th, 2009

Nice pic, he looks like an honest man.

QueensHart

at 11:50 on October 20th, 2009

Should Rahm be talking about so publicly what "we know?" Jeez seems like there should be some cards held close to the chest. Why can't we just send some James Bond dudes over there and throw some dynamite in their dwellings?

nanute

at 14:04 on October 20th, 2009

Read the article I referred to in my previous post. Gen. McCrystal has laid out our strategy for all to see in plain sight. It is a very honest, and may I say unpleasant analysis. If I read the General correctly, we're talking at least 6-8 more years of commitment. His plan, and his vision.

In the final graph of the story, the General is meeting with a village elder. McCrystal asks: "what can we do better?" The elder says, " stop living in tents and build a structure." Our people think you are going to leave, and then the Taliban will come back and retaliate Our people are impatient. We've been waiting 30 years for change." To which McCrystal replies: " I work for a lot of impatient people." This may be paraphrasing from memory, but it is pretty accurate.