Hate to say it but Obama is a goddamn pimp when it comes to the middle east. From taking out high level terrorists, to smoothing things over in Pakistan, this is the only area i can think of where Obama really seems to have his shit together. Pakistan Arrests Al Qaeda Suspects, Stops Asking for End to CIA Drone Strikes WASHINGTON â In what could mark a turning point in U.S.-Pakistani relations, Pakistani forces have arrested a handful of Al Qaeda suspects at the CIA's request and allowed the U.S. access to the detainees, U.S. and Pakistani officials said. Pakistan has also stopped demanding the CIA suspend the covert drone strikes that have damaged Al Qaeda's militant ranks in Pakistan's tribal areas, officials on both sides say -- though the Pakistanis say they have simply put this on the back burner for now. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive strategic matters. Only one of the Al Qaeda figures who was arrested is considered senior, but U.S. and Pakistani officials called the combined moves a trend in the right direction. "They are doing things to cooperate and be helpful," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press. Clapper would not comment on the details shared by other U.S. and two Pakistani officials, but confirmed there has been some progress restoring the joint intelligence cooperation that used to be routine, prior to the covert U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan in May. The raid inflamed anti-American sentiment in Pakistan and embarrassed its intelligence services, who were already angry over an incident in January, when a CIA security contractor shot dead two Pakistanis he said were trying to rob him. For a time, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency refused to carry out any joint operations with American intelligence officers, nor would they allow the Americans access to question militant detainees. Visas as well were hard to come by for U.S. officials of any stripe. The breakdown in relations took on a tit-for-tat quality, with Pakistan expelling most of the U.S. military trainers in the country, and the U.S. cutting off several hundred million dollars in military aid. There are still bumps, including over recent high-level U.S. criticism of Pakistan's ties to militant groups. Pakistan considered halting some of the increased cooperation after Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen accused Pakistan's spy shop of complicity with the militant Haqqani network's attack on the U.S. embassy in neighboring Afghanistan. Mullen levied that charge, the most serious U.S. allegation against Pakistan since the 9/11 attacks, within a few days of leaving his post last month. President Barack Obama was more circumspect on Thursday, saying "there is no doubt that there is some connection that the Pakistani military and intelligence services have with certain individuals that we find troubling." Obama said he does not want to yank humanitarian aid or take other punitive measures just to make a point, but some in Congress are demanding a major retrenchment in U.S. engagement with what many see as a reluctant and inconsistent anti-terrorism partner. More fallout from that clash arose Thursday, when a Pakistani government commission concluded a Pakistani doctor should be prosecuted for treason, for running a vaccination program to help the CIA locate bin Laden. Dr. Shakil Afridi Afridi has been in the custody of Pakistan's ISI since the bin Laden raid. Yet against the backdrop of public claim and counterclaim, intelligence officials on both sides say they have labored to restore communication. Clapper and three top CIA officials have held what he described as "frank and candid meetings," with Pakistan's intelligence chief Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha both in the U.S. and Islamabad since the bin Laden raid. The improved cooperation is a byproduct of mutual need, rather than shared trust at this point, officials concede. Pakistan does not want to risk losing U.S. diplomatic and financial support, and the U.S. needs Pakistani cooperation to continue counterterrorist operations against Al Qaeda in one of its key safe havens. The U.S. military also needs Pakistani consent to use the country's roads to resupply U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/1...g-for-end-to-cia-drone-strikes/#ixzz1aClGOXwK
Afghan casualties are up under Obama. Drone attacks may take out some Al Queda but it won't win the war just as other bombing campaigns have not won wars. Pakistan continues to be a safe haven for the Taliban and Al Queda. Drone attacks are just a pin prick. They haven't slowed the attacks coming from Pakistan at all. Pakistan is playing Obama for a fool while we give them billions.
There is no more war to win in Afghanistan, we are never going to take out every single terrorist in Afghanistan. We should withdraw all of our troops immediately, Obama has already taken out a pile of these leaders of the groups with drone strikes, and went into Pakistan and assassinated Bin Laden. There is no more benefit to having soldiers there when we can accomplish this goal without the military on the ground. It is a huge waste of money but more importantly a huge waste of American Lives. We can continue to take out the leaders of the movement with our intel and drone strikes, at a fraction of the cost.
By signaling the withdraw date, Pakistan, Iran and the Taliban are just cooling their heels until we leave so they can basically take over Afghanistan. There will probably be millions slaughtered as soon as we're gone. Obama has no end game except to leave. I'm all for leaving but we better either kill ALL our enemy in Pakistan or have some game plan to keep the country from turning into a greater terrorist state.
And we arent at war with Pakistan or Iran, so whether we sit in afghanistan for a year or 10 years once we leave those countries will still invade afghanistan. Do You want us to invade Pakistan and Iran as well? Cause thats the only way to stop it, all we are doing by staying is delaying the inevitable.
Not necessarily. Do you want to have to invade Afghanistan again in 5 years because they are a terrorist hot bed and the source of attacks on U.S. Soil? Obama isn't doing shit to solve this.
What is stopping the 20 other countries in the middle east from becoming terrorist hotbeds? We push them out of Afghanistan they can go to about 10 different countries that will welcome them with open arms. We cant occupy the entire middle east. Its not like we are going to put an end to terrorism by occupying afghanistan.
That's not what I am saying. Afganistan has to be made to be able to stand on its own even if we have to help or all the lives we have lost there are for nothing. Is that what you want? Just let it go back to what it was with Taliban and terrorists running the country and targeting the U.S.?
All the lives were not for nothing. We had a goal to take out Bin Laden, we did it, and we crippled Al-Quaeda. It is not our job to build that country up. We will be there for 20 more years if that is the goal. None of the high level terrorists have been caught in afghanistan recently, and we have shown that it doesnt matter where the high level guys hide, we can get them. We are far better off leaving and letting drone strikes take out the high level guys if we get intel that they are in Afghanistan. We cant afford to build up our own country so why on earth would we waste our money building up someone else country? We should not sacrifice even 1 more American life in a war of attrition that we cant afford that doesnt even make sense any more, there is no reason to stay in Afghanistan any longer.
All those lives to kill one man? I disagree. Obama should have listened to Petreas. We would be in better shape to end this right. And, I especially disagree with the title of this tread. While helpful, the drone attacks are doing little to win the war.