Remove US forces from Pakistan

There are regular American soldiers in Pakistan; they ensure compliance under threat of overt occupation. Moreover, “the United States is engaged in a covert strategy to increase [their] troops’ role [in Pakistan] incrementally, with the goal of convincing Pakistan to be more accepting of [their] presence.” So says US Representative Kucinich, co-sponsor of a July 22 Resolution in Congress: “Directing the President…to remove the United States armed forces from Pakistan.” “We became enmeshed in a war against Vietnam with advisers leading the way,” he said: “[we] are seeking to nip in the bud an expansion of US ground presence in Pakistan.” Reportedly, 30 Special Operations soldiers, billed as military trainers, first arrived in Pakistan in October 2008, days after President Asif Ali Zardari took office, after four months of stalling by the Pakistan Army. Today, there are some 120 to 200 ‘trainers’ in Pakistan, with an expanded and growing scope of mission. While it is well-known that numerous US and allied – including Indian and Israeli – intelligence agencies have been operating inside Pakistan, this resolution confirms the presence of regular US military forces in Pakistan.

In parallel with CIA, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) soldiers of the US Special Operations Command, each with its own Blackwater/Xe and other mercenaries, have been long suspected to be active in Pakistan — recruiting spies, running faux terrorists, staging apparent terrorist incidents, buying friends, bribing the recalcitrant, and assassinating targets. A much wider presence, however, was confirmed when three foreigners, in civilian clothes, were killed in February, while on their way to inaugurate a girls’ school in Lower Dir built with American money. Although the government insists that only a handful of US troops are training the Frontier Corps, a US Army Special Operations Command press release identified two of the deceased as being from their 95th Civil Affairs (CA) Brigade (Airborne), and one from the fourth Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) Group. The Frontier Corps is not tasked with either of these activities.

Cyclone Phet moves past Karachi, hits Thatta

KARACHI: According to Met Department the Cyclone Phet has moved past Karachi without hitting the coast and now passing along the coastal line of Thatta.

More rains are also expected in Karachi, Met Office said.

Moreover cycle control center said that Coastal belt will experience heavy rainfall within 24 hours.

Earlier Director General of Meteorological Department Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry said Cyclone Phet had hit south of Karachi on Sunday evening. The intensity of the cyclone was category one and the costal areas of Thatta and Karachi were the center of the cyclone.

Zaman said the cyclone would cause 3 to 5-meter high waves in Thatta’s coastal areas, while 2 to 4-meter high waves were expected in Karachi’s coastal areas. According to Met Department, more downpours were expected during the next 36 to 48 hours.