Pakistan May Finally Be Ready To Let U.S. Troops In

January 24, 2008 · Filed Under Military, Pakistan, War on Terror, World News

There are a number of reports out this afternoon suggesting that the new General in charge of Pakistani forces may be interested in a more direct cooperation with U.S. troops on Pakistani soil.

Gen. Ashfaq Kayani who now heads up the Pakistani Army was originally trained by the United States and has kept up relations with the U.S. ever since.

The recent assassination of Benazir Bhutto served as a wake-up call to the top brass in Pakistan about what a serious danger Islamic militants pose to the stability of Pakistan and the region.

Gen. Kayani is said to be open to stepping up training of his military by the U.S. and conducting future combat operations together on Pakistani soil.

Defense Sec. Gates acknowledged both President Musharraf and Gen. Kayani will have to take into account the political consequences of allowing U.S. troops into Pakistan.

He said U.S. forces were very sensitive to the political situation in Pakistan and any joint operations conducted in the future would only involve a very small number of troops.

The technology and tactics that U.S. forces could bring to bear in the tribal region even in small numbers could give Pakistani forces a huge advantage.

-Chris Jones