<
--------------
STRATFOR.com
--------------
THE INTERNET SOURCE FOR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE
If it’s in the news, it’s too late...
Musharraf Making Plans for U.S. Operations in Pakistan
March 25, 2002
Summary
The U.S. military is considering launching ground operations in Pakistan, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said. Such operations would cause an uproar in Pakistan, where President Pervez Musharraf is already taking precautions to prepare for the inevitable backlash.
Analysis
The commander of the American ground forces in Afghanistan said March 21 that U.S. soldiers might need to cross into Pakistani territory as part of the campaign against al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, the New York Times reported. Maj. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck of the 10th Mountain Division did not offer specifics, but suggested that such operations would likely be planned attacks on lines of retreat rather than frantic pursuits across the border.
Hagenbeck's statement comes amid consistent reports that Taliban and al Qaeda fighters have found sanctuary in Pakistan. It now appears that it is a question of when, not if, overt U.S. military operations will be conducted in the country. Such operations will have a massive impact on Pakistan's internal stability, and the blowback could potentially topple President Pervez Musharraf.
Hagenbeck noted that operations into Pakistan would only be taken as a "last resort," the Times reported, and would be carried out with the cooperation of the Pakistani government. But the point of "last resort" may be closer than many think.
Western media organizations are reporting that Pakistan is very much a center of al Qaeda and Taliban activity. The Associated Press says that up to 1,000 Taliban and al Qaeda members, including some of the Taliban's top ministers, have taken refuge there. The New York Times also reported a surge in al Qaeda-related Internet traffic originating from Pakistan's Baluchistan province.
+++++++ NOTICE +++++++
This is an abbreviated version of a full-length STRATFOR report previously seen by our Members. To access STRATFOR's complete range of in-depth, objective intelligence and analysis on the globe, including our award-winning daily full text and graphics reports, click here and become a Member today!
->OR<-
Sign up here to receive our free daily briefing of important international events!
+++++++ NOTICE +++++++
(Story Source)
(c) 2002 Stratfor, Inc.
Dan
Musharraf Making Plans for U.S. Operations in Pakistan . . .