On Ground Updates: Afghanistan/Pakistan - October 08, 2009

On Ground Updates:
Afghanistan/Pakistan
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Says Terrorists In Retreat/Taliban In Disarray - Pakistan's Military Rejects U.S. Attempts to Link Billions In Foreign Aid To Increased Monitoring Of Anti-Terror Efforts - Pakistani Taliban Making Comeback?
Post Date: Thursday, October 08, 2009
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* VOANews.com had the following article posted up on their website late Wednesday evening and it goes in part like this...
...It is not clear when Pakistan's army will begin its operation in South Waziristan, which is believed to be a possible hiding place for al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden... Qureshi [Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi] said [during an address in Washington] Pakistan's military is ready to take action. "If the security forces of Pakistan knew where he was, [Osama bin Laden] we would get him... By doing that, we would be scoring a huge point in demonstrating our commitment to a larger cause," he said...
Read this article in full at link below...
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Says Taliban in Disarray
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* AP had this report up on their website late Wednesday evening and it starts off like this... Pakistan's powerful military rejected U.S. attempts to link billions of dollars in foreign aid to increased monitoring of its anti-terror efforts, complicating American attempts to strike al-Qaida and Taliban fighters on the Afghan border... Although the U.S.-backed government of President Asif Ali Zardari has the final say on whether to accept the money, the unusual public criticism threatens to force its hand and undermine military cooperation with the Americans just as the Pakistani army prepares for what could be its most important offensive against extremists since the U.S.-led anti-terror campaign began exactly eight years ago... Any breakdown in intelligence sharing and other types of cooperation would hurt the American fight against a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan. U.S. and NATO commanders say the war there cannot be won unless Islamabad does more to tackle extremists on its side of the border...
Read the full report at link below...
Pakistan's military rejects US aid bill
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* Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has the following report posted up on their website this Thursday afternoon and it starts off like this... A few months ago, the Tehrek-e Taliban Pakistan (Taliban Movement in Pakistan) was the largest extremist militant organization in the country, effectively controlling large swaths of the western border region with Afghanistan... Then Pakistan's military launched operations against the group in the northwestern Swat Valley and adjacent Bajaur and Mohmand tribal districts. Some senior Taliban leaders were arrested and the group's influence was said to be much diminished... But it now appears the group is trying to stage a comeback...
Read the rest at link below...
With UN Bombing, Pakistani Taliban Attempts A Comeback

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Newsmaker: Foreign Minister of Pakistan on tribal areas

About news video: Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, talks about how the Pakistani government will address the issue of extremists in the tribal areas in Pakistan.
This Video posted on YouTube by washingtontimes
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AubreyJ.........