Feb 23 2009
U.S. Military Operatives Giving Secret Assistance to Pakistan
Has our government sent military advisors to Central Asia to combat the growing threat of terrorism over there? Do leaves grow on trees?
According to Eric Schmitt and Jane Perlez of The New York Times, U.S. military officials have confirmed more than 70 covert operators are lending secret assistance to Pakistan’s military in its fight against Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in that country’s Wild West-like tribal regions.
But, I repeat, THIS IS A SECRET!!! So don’t tell anyone about this after you’re done reading.
“The Americans are mostly Army Special Forces soldiers who are training Pakistani Army and paramilitary troops, providing them with intelligence and advising on combat tactics, the officials said,” Schmitt and Perlez report. “They do not conduct combat operations, the officials added.”
The officials also confirmed that John Wayne isn’t among them.
Okay, okay, that was a lame joke. Time to move on.
The SF soldiers (No, I am NOT going to call them Green Berets; that’s what you call a hat) make up a secret task force under the ever-watchful eye of the U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command (SOCOM). The unit was created last summer to counter the growing threat posed by al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. “It is a much larger and more ambitious effort than either country has acknowledged,” Schmitt and Perlez add.
I think this is a great idea. If the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan is going to be won, then the real battles will be fought in the shadows instead of the open fields of conventional conflicts. When I was returning home from my tour as an aid worker in Afghanistan last year, I talked to a retired Army colonel who told me that SF soldiers were being used more in direct engagement with the terrorist enemy, as opposed to traditional counterinsurgency activities such as nation-building and military advising. I hope the covert operations going on in Pakistan signal a return to these unconventional tactics. Using special operations warriors solely for combat is a waste. We have regular soldiers and Marines for that.
In honor of the SF troops in Pakistan, I would like to end this piece with these words:
Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Beret
“BTW - I like the new look.”
Thanks, Pal!
I seem to remember our dumping money into Pakistan in the past… Hmm I remember we were using the ISI to support Osama Bin Laden. I’m sure we are in bed with much more ethical people this time.