Pakistan told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that it had acted with restraint to a recent cross-border attack by Taliban that killed 17 Pakistani soldiers, but warned against recurrence of such provocations from the Afghan side.
Huh. Yeah, having enemies with a cross-border sanctuary does suck:
The Haqqani Network is Afghanistan’s most capable and sophisticated insurgent network. The Haqqanis enjoy sanctuary in the tribal areas in Pakistan along the border with Afghanistan. With the backing of elements within the Pakistan security establishment, the Haqqanis have used their sanctuary in the North Waziristan Agency of Pakistan to operate across the border in southeastern Afghanistan.
We have to deal with it, too:
For a company of paratroopers planted in the heart of Taliban country, newly built Joint Security Station Hasan in southern Ghazni Province is a chance to make a real difference.And we have to deal with this area this summer. Maybe we'll have next summer to defend gains we make this summer. But that's it. Then Afghanistan will be in the lead. What are the odds that Pakistan will do something to remove the need for combat outposts in dangerous parts of Regional Command East to deal with infiltration from Pakistan?
Conceived as a blockade against arms, explosives and fighters streaming up through Ghazni's desolate Nawah District from Pakistan, JSS Hasan was established within view of the only bridge spanning the Tarnak River that is able to support heavy vehicles.
It's plain "country" living, with no running water, electricity, hot meals, only ankle-deep dust, dry heat and daily bombardment from enemy mortars and rocket-propelled grenades.
The reaction from Taliban fighters to security forces moving into one of their primary support zones has been violent, according to Capt. Philip Schneider, whose company of 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers built the post in an old, burned-out compound in the village of Hasan and man it with Afghan soldiers of 3rd Brigade, 203rd Corps.
"We take contact every time we go out," said Schneider, an armor officer who has spent nearly his entire career leading infantry, including a 15-month tour in Baghdad as part of the Surge.
"We didn't get much contact when we were building, but after, it was game on," he said. "We take indirect fire daily, and the road coming in here is full of [improvised explosive devices]. We've called in gun runs from A-10s and Apaches; we use danger-close artillery extensively and have had rounds fall within 200 meters of friendlies. The learning curve is very steep down here."
Maybe if Pakistan stopped trying to fight on both sides of the same war, they'd be better off. I know we would. And Afghans, too, of course.
