Our Secret War in Pakistan

[mekender]

http://www.floppingaces.net/2008/10/08/ ... more-10098

JALALABAD, Afghanistan – U.S. military officials don’t talk about our secret war in Pakistan. Don’t even ask, I was told, on U.S. military bases in Afghanistan at Bagram and Jalalabad. Don’t ask about the remotely-controlled American drones armed with missiles that are now hunting across the Pakistani border, searching through the mountain peaks, valleys and dusty villages inside Pakistan for the leaders of a few dozen networks of al-Qaida fighters, Taliban militants, warlords, weapons smugglers and opium traffickers.

And certainly don’t ask about the troops on bases here in Afghanistan who don’t wear uniforms, have long beards (so they can better blend in during covert operations), tattoos and don’t mingle with regular soldiers.

They eat in their own chow halls, plan their own missions and don’t talk much. They don’t talk at all to the media. They’re the men who have been called in to cross into Pakistan when the drones can’t get deep enough to find and kill their targets.

They are elite Special Operations Forces, the most-highly trained and covert of the U.S. military. They are America’s ghost warriors. According to Pakistani villagers who claim to have witnessed their operations, the “Special Ops” work in small teams, fast roping out of helicopters, air assaulting their objective before the enemy can re-group.

Their strengths are rapid violence, stealth, mobility and surprise. The Special Operations Forces don’t receive much attention or credit in the media, but they’re leading America’s secret war inside Pakistan, at least for now.

The Army Times, a military newspaper, recently reported that the U.S. will temporarily halt ground incursions into Pakistan. The newspaper quoted an unnamed Pentagon official as saying, “We are now working with the Pakistanis to make sure that those types of ground-type insertions do not happen, at least for a period of time to give them an opportunity to do what they claim they are desiring to do.” The newspaper said the halt did not apply to the incursions by drones.

[randy]

Meh. The real news would be if we weren't doing stuff like this. I'd say 50-95% of the real action in WWIV (depending on the phase of the war) will never be known to the mundanes until well after it's all over.

Even today, outside of the military and those with a deep interest (and maybe a few inside connections) have any real knowledge of what went on in CCN, CCS, White Star, SOG, etc.

(and if you gotta ask...)

[Rod]

Their three strengths are rapid violence, stealth, mobility and surprise. Wait.....

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[Drone 7 of lots more]

Their three strengths are rapid violence, stealth, mobility and surprise. Wait.....

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Hey, we hire them to break things and kill folk, not count.

[The Quiet Man]

And what's this secret shit anyway...if we are writing about it then it ain't too secret now is it?!?

[g-man]

Their three strengths are rapid violence, stealth, mobility and surprise. Wait.....

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Hey, we hire them to break things and kill folk, not count.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!