US Military Officials Eye More Attacks Into Pakistan

US Officials to Meet With Pakistani Military Over Border Issues

With the furore over a series of cross border raids and the subsequent killing of three Pakistani soldiers by a NATO attack helicopter still fresh in everyone’s mind, it seems unthinkable that officials would be eying a repeat of what turned into an enormous international incident.

According to recent reports US military officials, facing growing administration pressure to show something that seems like progress in the endless Afghan War, is looking to press Pakistan for more attacks inthe tribal area, and some are even advocating crossing the border with US forces and expanding the war formally into Pakistan.

Indeed the attacks would be even more controversial than the previous ones, as the helicopter attacks were in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), while the military officials are seeking raids into Pakistan proper, into the Balochistan Province.

The officials are heading to Pakistan this week with plans to press Pakistan’s military over the issues surrounding the border. It seems likely that broaching the subject of cross border raids will be poorly met by Pakistani officials, and actually doing so will put further strain on an alliance that seems to be getting weaker all the time.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.