U.S. Military Seeks to Open New Front in Pakistan

Military leaders in Afghanistan are pushing for authorization to launch raids into neighbouring Pakistan to capture al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. That’s the message from U.S. military leaders in Afghanistan who are dissatisfied with the Pakistani government’s efforts to capture insurgents within its own borders. Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters use the lawless border region as a staging ground for attacks against U.S. targets, and are supported by elements of the Pakistani government and the local population. Deploying U.S. ground troops across the border would provoke outrage in Pakistan, and so far the U.S. has relied on unmanned drones to carry out strikes in the country. Senior commanders are now seeking authorization to send commando forces across the border, which would open up a new front in the 9-year-old war.