Posted by Christopher Allbritton on May 8, 2009 at 9:12 am +0000 · Leave a Comment
Al Jazeera English is reporting ebbing public support for the Pakistani Army’s offensive against the Taliban in Swat, Buner and Dir. This fits with what happens with you turn an Army into a wrecking crew. Pakistan doesn’t really do population-centric operations.
Filed under Analysis, Pakistan, Video · Tagged with al jazeera english, Army, Buner, COIN, Islam, Militants, Pakistan, Sharia, Swat, Swat Valley, Taliban, Thugs, TTP, YouTube
Posted by Christopher Allbritton on May 6, 2009 at 10:32 am +0000 · Leave a Comment
I’m on deadline for a project today, so the blogging will be light. In the meantime, don’t miss these stories: Pakistani Army Poised for New Push Into Swat — New York Times: PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Residents flooded out of the Swat Valley by the thousands on Tuesday as the government prepared to mount a new military campaign against […]
Filed under Featured · Tagged with Afghanistan, Air Strikes, American, COIN, insurgency, Jihad, Media, Militants, News, Nukes, Pakistan, Piracy, Somalia, Taliban, Terrorism, Troops, U.S., US Navy
Posted by Christopher Allbritton on May 5, 2009 at 8:29 am +0000 · Leave a Comment
How not to conduct an effective counter-insurgency (COIN) campaign: ISLAMABAD — Thousands of panicked residents on foot and crammed in buses, vans and trucks fled Swat valley north of Pakistan’s capital Tuesday following the breakdown of a fragile truce between government forces and the Taliban. Authorities lifted a curfew for a few hours to allow residents to evacuate […]
Filed under Analysis, Featured, Pakistan, Video · Tagged with Adm. Mike Mullen, Air Strikes, al jazeera english, America, American, Army, Author, Bomb, Buner, COIN, counter insurgency, development, fighting, insurgency, Iraq, Islam, Islamabad, Militant, Militants, Military, MINGORA, News, Pakistan, peace pact, Peshawar, security, Sharia, Strategy, Suicide, Swat, Swat Valley, Taliban, Troops, TTP, U.S., War, YouTube
Posted by Christopher Allbritton on May 4, 2009 at 2:04 pm +0000 · Leave a Comment
“Afghanistan has been an ‘economy-of-force’ operation for far too long,” Adm. Mike Mullen said. “The Taliban, aided by al-Qaida and other extremists and safe havens across the border, are recruiting through intimidation, controlling through fear and advancing an unwelcome ideology through thuggery.”
Filed under Afghanistan, Featured, Military · Tagged with Adm. Mike Mullen, Afghanistan, Air Strikes, Al Qaeda, America, American, Analysis, Army, Blog, Buner, COIN, Conference, fighting, Idea, insurgency, Iraq, iraq war, ISI, Islam, Islamabad, islamic courts, Malakand, Media, Militant, Militants, Military, News, NWFP, Obama, Pakistan, Pashtun, Policy, security, Strategy, Sufi Muhammad, Swat, Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban, Threat, Troops, TTP, U.S., War
Posted by Christopher Allbritton on March 27, 2009 at 2:04 pm +0000 · Leave a Comment
The core goal of the new strategy is to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its safe havens in Pakistan, and to prevent their return to Pakistan or Afghanistan.” This is a clean break with Bush’s goal of a democratic Afghanistan. Nation-building is not the primary goal. Instead, nation-building will be a component of the strategy to defeat al Qaeda.
Filed under Afghanistan, Analysis, Featured, Politics · Tagged with Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, America, American, american security, Army, Author, Barack Obama, Book, COIN, Drugs, fighting, Idea, India, insurgency, Interview, Iran, Iraq, ISI, Islam, Islamabad, Jihad, Militant, Militants, Military, News, Obama, Pakistan, Policy, Russia, security, Special Forces, Statement, Strategy, Taliban, Terrorism, Troops, TTP, U.S., War, Washington
Pakistan Claims 700 Taliban Dead? Yeah, right.
Posted by Christopher Allbritton on May 12, 2009 at 5:06 am +0000 · 2 Comments
Color me skeptical, but Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik is claiming Pakistan’s offensive in the NWFP has killed 700 Taliban fighters. “More than 700 militants have been killed during the last four days. Fifty-two Taliban fighters were killed in Swat in the last 24 hours,” he said. He said the operation would continue till the last […]
Filed under Commentary, Featured, Pakistan · Tagged with Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, Bomb, COIN, coup, fighting, Idea, India, insurgency, ISI, Islam, Islamabad, Jihad, journalists, Militant, Militants, Military, News, NWFP, Obama, Pakistan, Piracy, security, Swat, Swat Valley, Taliban, TTP, U.S., War