Tuesday, April 28, 2009

MOD on Deaths in Afghanistan

MOD: Has a breakdown on the death toll in Afghanistan, of those 153 deaths of UK Personnel in Afghanistan, 124 have been killed in combat, while the other 29 deaths are due to accidents or illness or other indicants. The latest death today is the first since March 15 2009. It can be postulated that with the safe heavens in Pakistan our troops will have heavy fighting this year, thus the reason the US has sent another twenty one thousand troops to Afghanistan. Also we have the Presidential Election in August, the UK has sent another nine hundred troops to cover this election and allow the people of Afghanistan to vote in a free and fair election. This war will be long and bloody and no one has show me an EXIT route out of Kabul.

Grasping for Re - Election, Senator Arlen Specter

The New York Times: Reports on the defection of Senator Arlen Spector from Pennsylvania, from the Republican Party to the Democrats. As it should be noted Senator Joe Lieberman moved from the Democrats and ran as an Independent when he could not get the Democratic Nomination in his state due to his support for the Iraq War. Thus on a pure political matter it could be wise tactical move, it gives Obama the House and the Senate.

Total Control of the Senate for Obama

The Washington Post: Reports that President Obama has gained a major victory in the US Senate, a Republican Senator has changed sides and joined the Democrats. This gives the Democrats a Filibuster proof majority. Thus the Obama Administration has total control of the Congress, the House and Senate. Thus Obama owns the body politic, he cant blame the Republicans if things go wrong, with power comes great responsibility. Thus till the Mid - Term Congressional Elections in 2010 its the Obama Agenda for the USA.

Death in Afghanistan

Sky News: Reports on the death of another British Soldier in Afghanistan. The total of UK dead now stands at 153. This will not be the last death, the Taliban/Terrorists have the Swat Valley in Pakistan as a Safe heaven for terrorists, the terrorists can plan attacks, cross the Afghan border, carry out an attacks and then get back to safety of Pakistan. This brings back the lesson of the Vietnam War, the USA could not win in South Vietnam while support came from North Vietnam. Thus Obama is the new LBJ, and Afghanistan is the new Vietnam. The USA if it wants to win in Afghanistan will have to send ground troops in to Pakistan. Its that simple and brutal folks, if no US ground troops in to Pakistan then this war is lost, brutal but the truth.

Refuges from fight between Taliban and the Army of Pakistan

Telegraph: Reports that there are thirty thousand refuges from the fighting between the Taliban and the Army of Pakistan in Dir District of Pakistan. It is good that the Government of Pakistan is taking action in Buner District and Dir District but lets hope they are not going in heavy handed. Its a matter of winning the heart of minds of the locals, not of blowing up innocent people. As has been reported the Army of Pakistan has been trained to fight India in a convention war, they have not been trained to fight terrorists, who can fade in to the background. President Obama and UK PM has placed pressure on Pakistan to get moving, to take out the Taliban/Terrorists, but its the UK and the USA with its combat experience in Northern Ireland and Iraq that would be best placed to fight the Taliban in Pakistan. The question is does Obama and Brown have the backbone to send Western troops in to the Swat Valley, Buner and Dir District. If the Army of Pakistan cant push the Taliban out of Pakistan it will hurt the authority of the Government of Pakistan. At the end of the day, the USA and the UK must secure the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan, if need be they might have to send in troops to Islamabad.

Buner Air Strikes - Taliban vs Pakistan Government

BBC News: Reports on Air Strikes in the Buner District of Pakistan; 60-70 miles from the Capital of Pakistan, the Air Force of Pakistan is hitting the Taliban/Terrorists. Its seems that the Government in Pakistan has got the message from the Obama Administration and UK PM Gordon Brown, they have to get off the dime and hit the Taliban. The worrying aspect of this report is the fact that it was reported that the Taliban/Terrorists had left Buner under pressure from the Islamabad, in fact reporters recorded the event of the retreat. The truth was more complicated, the Taliban from the Swat Valley had left but local Taliban had stayed behind. One has to ask how many Taliban are in Buner, it seems by the use of Air Power that its more than a few hundred. The CIA should send their drones to have a look, this might be more serious that just an incursion, also the CIA should check about the security of the nuclear arsenal of Pakistan. Watch Buner folks, developing story.