U.S. Predicts Major Pakistani Military Offensive Against Taliban In South Waziristan - Obama, It's 3 a.m., You There?

Let me encapsulate this for you: Pakistan's military has about 28,000 troops surrounding the NW province of South Waziristan which holds a multitude of Taliban jihadis and leaders. At the same time, they have choked off supplies to those Taliban in the province and finally, they have begun an artillery bombardment of the area. And now, U.S. officials are saying that the Pakistani military is going to move in and do to the Taliban in South Waziristan what they did to them in the Swat Valley.

And at this unbelievably opportune time when we will see hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of Taliban scurrying across the Afghanistan border in retreat, President Barack Hussein Obama is sitting in the basement of the White House sulking over Chicago's defeat in the Olympic bid.

From the article at Dawn:

Pakistan has mobilized enough forces and equipment to launch a long awaited ground offensive against Taliban militants in their South Waziristan stronghold near the Afghan border, US defense officials said on Sunday.

Washington sees a concerted push by Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and al Qaeda ‘sanctuaries’ on its territory as the key to turning around a faltering US-led war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has cited in recent months shortages of helicopters, armored vehicles and precision weapons in putting off a Waziristan assault, but US officials said they believed the army was sufficiently equipped to act.

‘We would assess that they have plenty of force to do the job right now,’ said one of the officials, who has been closely monitoring Pakistani preparations for the offensive.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of discussing Pakistani military planning.

Pakistan has amassed troops around Waziristan, imposing a blockade to try to choke off Taliban supplies.

Ahead of an anticipated ground assault, the army has increased artillery fire and the CIA has stepped up attacks using drone aircraft armed with missiles.

For five plus years, the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan have begged and pleaded for the Pakistanis to put the hammer down on the Taliban inside of Pakistan's border and now, as we see probably the biggest Pakistani military operation to date set to begin, a call for 40,000 new American troops in Afghanistan to squash the Taliban is being ignored by an incompetent and impotent Commander-in-chief. I'll tell you one thing - this opportunity will not present itself again and quite frankly, U.S. and NATO troops in southern and southeastern Afghanistan may not be able to handle this flow of Taliban jihadists crossing the border.

What this all shows, folks is the total disdain that Barack Hussein Obama has ALWAYS showed for the American military. It also shows something I'd like to put out there. Barack Hussein Obama, the man, is not wired to win. He simply has a victim, loser mentality. Sure, he won a Presidential campaign but that was inspired and executed by his puppet masters and advisors. Obama is what I call a "natural born dissenter." That means that since Obama's childhood he has always seen himself as a victim and as a revolutionary. He never executes his plans because that is not his focus...he's more comfortable addressing the downfalls of society and America. To put it more plainly, Obama is the kind of guy that can eloquently illustrate with his words just what is wrong with healthcare in America but he has no desire how or when to fix it. So, with that in mind, look at the War in Afghanistan. In the campaign, Obama pointed out that Bush took his eyes off the main target, that being Afghanistan. Obama has for years gone on and on about how horribly wrong the War in Afghanistan has been waged ...so we see again the "setup" by him but when it comes to EXECUTION of his own plans, he fails. Miserably.

The reality is setting in for an America that wouldn't listen to some of us - that they have a President now who had NO executive leadership experience, no actual execution success in his life. America elected a professional complainer, not a leader. And now, we all pay the price with our national security.

US believes Pakistan prepared for Waziristan assault

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has mobilized enough forces and equipment to launch a long awaited ground offensive against Taliban militants in their South Waziristan stronghold near the Afghan border, US defense officials said on Sunday.

Washington sees a concerted push by Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and al Qaeda ‘sanctuaries’ on its territory as the key to turning around a faltering US-led war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has cited in recent months shortages of helicopters, armored vehicles and precision weapons in putting off a Waziristan assault, but US officials said they believed the army was sufficiently equipped to act.

‘We would assess that they have plenty of force to do the job right now,’ said one of the officials, who has been closely monitoring Pakistani preparations for the offensive.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of discussing Pakistani military planning.

Pakistan has amassed troops around Waziristan, imposing a blockade to try to choke off Taliban supplies.

Ahead of an anticipated ground assault, the army has increased artillery fire and the CIA has stepped up attacks using drone aircraft armed with missiles.

Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said two divisions, or up to 28,000 soldiers, were in place, enough to take on an estimated 10,000 hard-core Taliban.

While declining to discuss force levels, a US defense official described the Waziristan deployment as ‘significant’ and said he did not expect any additional reinforcements.

‘You might see some troops moving but they would probably be rotating. I think they’re going to maintain about the same strength that they have there now,’ the official said.

Washington believes the Pakistanis will have to ‘clear and hold’ the rugged, mountainous territory to crush militants loyal to the late Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.

Baitullah was killed in a US missile strike in August.

US intelligence agencies believe his successor, Hakimullah Mehsud, may have been killed soon thereafter in a firefight with rivals, leaving the Taliban in disarray.

Allied with al Qaeda, Mehsud’s group has mostly been fighting against Pakistani forces but also sends militants to join the battle against US and Nato forces in Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda Sanctuary

Appearing on CNN, White House National Security Adviser James Jones pointed to al Qaeda ‘sanctuaries’ in Pakistan as ‘the problem, the next step’ in the fight against the group, but said Pakistani government and army ‘has done much better than anybody thought’ at dealing with the threat.

US officials see the Pakistani army’s offensive against the former Taliban bastion in Swat, 80 miles (120 km) northwest of Islamabad, as a sign that the country’s political and military leaders have learned from past missteps.

‘I think they’re determined to not make the mistake of withdrawing (from Swat) before the government forces are able to come in and backfill, and do the hold and build functions of counter-insurgency,’ the official said.

Jones said Washington was working closely with the Pakistani army ‘to try to help them get rid of the insurgency problem on their side of the border. If that happens, that’s a strategic shift in the region.’

US officials acknowledge Pakistani troops need more armored vehicles and night-vision devises to protect themselves against improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the most lethal weapon used by the Taliban against US forces in Afghanistan.

‘But the lack of that equipment does not mean they cannot conduct successful military operations. It might mean that it would be a little more difficult, that the logistics would be a little trickier. But it doesn’t mean they can’t pull the trigger if they want,’ one of the defense officials said.

A US military official said an assault by ground forces in Waziristan ‘can still be effective’ despite some shortages, adding that the Pentagon was trying to free up helicopters and other equipment for Pakistan ‘as soon as possible.’

The Pentagon has sought permission from Congress to transfer used US military hardware from Iraq to the Pakistani army but US lawmakers have so far balked at the request, citing concerns Islamabad could use the equipment against India.

Washington is also securing some equipment through third governments but the effort is moving slowly, officials said.