17
Oct

Pakistan Army Launches its Offensive into South Waziristan

Posted by: Wordsmith @ 7:57 am in Pakistan, War On Terror  | 161 views

2009-10-04
Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud (C) sits with other millitants in South Waziristan, October 4, 2009.
REUTERS/Reuters TV

WaPo:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Oct. 17 — Pakistan’s army launched a ground offensive Saturday morning aimed at rooting out Islamist insurgents in the lawless tribal region of South Waziristan, an intelligence official in the area said.

The military had been planning the operation for months, amassing nearly 30,000 troops in the area and attempting to soften targets with aerial strikes. Military officials and security experts estimate that between 5,000 and 10,000 “hardcore” Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents are based in the area, which the United States views as a terrorism hub and has targeted with unmanned drone strikes.

The offensive comes after two weeks of bloody militant attacks killed more than 100 people in Pakistan, assaults that officials say are nearly all planned in South Waziristan.

Bill Roggio:

A military offensive in Waziristan will pit Pakistani troops against the best fighters the Taliban have to offer. The military has been defeated four times in South Waziristan since 2004, and has signed a series humiliating peace agreements in an effort to keep the Taliban at bay. Instead, the Taliban insurgency has metastasized throughout the tribal areas and into the Northwest Frontier Province.

Read more analysis and history at The Long War Journal

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9 comments so far

Slatrat
 1Reply to this comment  

If only our Commie-Organizer in Chief would send regular troops (not support troops) right now we could work out a joint pincer movement with Pakistan and wipe out the muzzie bad guys once and for all.

October 17th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Old Trooper
 2Reply to this comment  

Slatrat, the Planning is in the works. We just need Our Pretender in Chief to evolve into a War Time President and act decisively. French President Sarkozy refuses to send “not one additional Soldier” to AF/PAK until he is assured that the US is a strong Ally and is resolved to pursue a successful plan to get a positive result there. I do not blame him.

October 17th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Big Daddy Tanker
 3Reply to this comment  

Slatrat , I bet my best pair of AC U’s that you have never humped a mile in the Badlands. If you are down range you will take any body and support troops are needed well before,during and after. Stop Listening to Rush and go enlist if you have all the answers. Your whining and badmouthing back here is about as detrimental to the cause as the bad guys. Long story short, Shut up until you get back then complain.

October 18th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Old Trooper
 4Reply to this comment  

May I add that that is the roughest terrain on God’s Earth, the Logistics tasks are enormous, beans, fuel, munitions and water are difficult to provide, Alliances are risky and the ROE are challenging. The weather is as extreme as I have ever experienced. The Enemy is comprised of very tough hombres that have been at War for Centuries with the other tribal types and outsiders.

It is no cake walk or church picnic. Just ask the Russians.

Strength
Soviet:

* 118,000 (1985)

Mujahideen:

* Unknown

Casualties and losses
Soviet:

* 13,310 Dead
* 35,478 Wounded
* 311 Missing
* 469,685 Sick

Mujahideen:

* around 70,000 killed

Civilians:

Unknown. Estimates on civilian deaths vary at under 700,000 to over 2,000,000.

October 18th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Patvann
 5Reply to this comment  

Easy there Big Tanker…

Of course you’re right, but at least this young Padewan’s heart is in the right place.

Let’s remember that us old dawgs need to recognize an opportunity to teach the pups, and reserve “proper venting” of our frustrations for those who truly don’t get it.

@Slatrat…

While flooding the place with armed warriors sounds good on the surface, those guys need to eat, need fuel, need mail and laundry delivered, and a steady supply of bullets. One can not be done with out the other, and that “other” is what makes the point of our spear so sharp and deadly.

In the Army, support is planned as 4-to-6 supporters-to-warrior.
In the Marines, it’s 3-to-5.
In the Airforce/Navy, it’s 10-15. (Navy SeAL’s sometimes had multiple ship/submarine-loads.)

(My estimations may be off, so any of you who know better, please correct me.)

October 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am
AHR
 6Reply to this comment  

Many in Pakistan fail to understand the value of their vote. Agreed we go to the polling stations whenever we are lucky enough to have elections, but having an ink mark on our thumb does not mark the end of our civic duty. When we come out in numbers, those politicians that take Pakistanis for granted are shaken to the core. Those law enforcement agencies carry out their duty with justice. Not only the government, but the army also realizes that it becomes powerless when it is dealing with the nation as one. If we, the people, are able to wield such influence over these powerful institutions by coming together as one unit, lord save the militants if we truly unite as Pakistan.

http://ahraza.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/we-the-people/

October 21st, 2009 at 11:27 pm

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