Huge increase in US troop size in Pakistan

Great, now Pakistans gonna trun into a warzone!

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/04/25/us.pakistan/index.html

from http://www.cnn.com

military forces have been sent to Pakistan in recent weeks in preparation for possible future action against al Qaeda targets in that South Asian country, CNN has learned.

A senior U.S. military official said Thursday that so far no American forces have accompanied Pakistani troops on combat missions. But he said the new U.S. contingent is part of an effort to “find out what is possible” in the days and weeks ahead in working with the Pakistanis.

“We are following their lead,” the official said, noting that Pakistan’s government is sensitive about any disclosure of U.S. involvement.

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The United States and Pakistan have discussed the possibility of U.S. troops engaging in combat against al Qaeda targets in Pakistani territory. But the U.S. official said the matter remains under discussion.

The U.S. military view appears to be that the Pakistani government will support its efforts if the time comes when action is warranted.

The official declined to disclose how many troops had been sent and their exact mission, explaining that “we want some people to worry about this and others not to.”

He noted that the United States does not want al Qaeda to understand the capabilities or size of the U.S. military in Pakistan.

“We have more people there but not in active operations,” he said.

The official agreed, however, that the deployment signals an increased U.S. effort to get ready for action in Pakistan if warranted.

The U.S. military has advisory personnel and other liaisons with Pakistani forces, including communications assistance and coordination. Additionally, it is using Pakistan air bases from which air attacks were launched early in the Afghan war.