Pakistan's interior minister threatens action on NATO incursions

Originally posted by SLAYER69
Pakistan has been playing both sides of the fence since this whole thing kicked off. On one hand they want and like US support and arms, then on the other they tend to turn a blind eye to the insurgents who bounce back and forth across their border with Afghanistan.

Of course they have played both sides of the fence. That is how you truly win a war; you exploit both sides until you have achieved your goals.

The Pakistanis have great incentive to play both sides of the fence.

On the one hand, by pledging allegiance to NATO in the War on Terrorism, they receive military aid from NATO and ISI funding from the CIA. On the other hand, if they allow insurgents to cross into Afghanistan - and even assist and arm those insurgents - they not only get a bit of security and a front line, so to speak, with the insurgency against any NATO invasion of Pakistan, but also they keep the war in Afghanistan going, prompting further arming and funding by NATO and the CIA.

The Pakistanis know what they are doing. This is not incompetent flip-flopping and folding under public or political scrutiny. This is their war strategy, and they are executing it quite well.

As for their open threats of retaliation against NATO incursions into their territory, they have every right to make such threats. NATO is illegally violating Pakistan's sovereignty. Pakistan "technically" is abiding by international law and cooperating in the War on Terrorism by not "officially" aiding and abetting terrorists, therefore they cannot be subjected to these incursions by NATO without Pakistani permission.

Lets put it this way: If Chechen militants had taken refuge in the United States and Russia was actively at war with and pursuing them, would the United States simply stand by as Russia targeted and bombed Chechen locations inside the United States, even killing American citizens in the process?

No, they wouldn't, so no one can sit here and logically question Pakistan's frustration - whether it be staged or not - against NATO strikes in Pakistan.

.........Thread Update..........

Signaling Tensions, Pakistan Shuts NATO Supply Route

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan on Thursday closed the most important border crossing for trucks supplying American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, hours after coalition helicopters struck on the Pakistani side of the border for the fourth time in a week, killing three members of Pakistan’s border force.

The border closing, and the exceptional strikes by piloted aircraft, as opposed to drones, signaled a general rise in tensions between Pakistan and the United States, already uncomfortable allies that are pursuing competing interests in the Afghan war.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The problem is the USA is fighting three wars and does not acknowledge the one in Pakistan. We are flying drones into this sovereign nation and killing many innocent peoples who have nothing to do with this war.

Rachel Maddow has been reporting on this for quite a while, and the guests who are members of the Obama Administration are very coy and do not always answer the questions when she asks about the drone bombings. They state it is a security thing as to why they won't answer the questions.

maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com...

This is a very serious matter that does need to be addressed. Should the USA have no limits on who they can go to war with? Should Congress give the Administration a blank check for doing this sort of thing?

The Constitution specifically states only Congress shall declare war. Right now, three undeclared wars are being fought. (50,000 American servicemen and women are in harms way in Iraq still, so that is a war zone.)