In comments with interviewers, Pakistani Premier Imran Khan ruled out the idea of hosting CIA bases for use against Afghanistan, saying that Pakistan would absolutely not consider US bases aimed at cross-border operations.
The CIA has been very public in seeking new basing options for its war in Afghanistan. Previously operating off of US military bases in Afghanistan, they don’t have a lot of options for where to go when the US withdraws.
The CIA has floated the idea of getting new bases in Pakistan or former Soviet states in the region. Russia reportedly opposes the northern ideas, and Khan has now ruled out Pakistan as a host, meaning that the CIA may be running out of luck.
The US plans to be out of Afghanistan by fall, but the CIA also intends to keep up operations against the Taliban and other factions.They’re going to continue to seek some arrangement to keep their assassination program going, no doubt, but this will be complicated without a base of operations.
Any such bases would be doing drone strikes on the same ethnic group on both sides of the border, in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. We know that because that is how they’ve done it from Afghan bases.
Pakistan dare not draw counterstrikes onto bases in its own territory, and onto the politicians who allow that.
Yes, but. Pakistani cooperation would be a real loss, …Tajikistan won’t do. So Imran Khan like all his civilian predecessors will soon have to take his lesson from his Generals.
They can always make safe houses in caves…!