SULLEN MULLEN

By Ghalib Sultan

US Admiral Mike Mullen rarely smiles. In fact in Pakistan during his 22 visits no one has ever seen him smile. Not that there is very much to smile about. The NATO/ISAF military campaign in Afghanistan is not going well as the Afghans fighting to oust the ‘invader’ spread their actions to Northern Afghanistan and strike in more and more ingenious ways. To make matters worse after spending billions of dollars the capacity of the Afghan Security Forces (ANA) remains poor and recent killings of US/NATO soldiers indicate that the ANA is penetrated by Afghan Taliban sympathizers. The July 2011 deadline for withdrawal is approaching and even in the areas of surges there is no stability. In fact ‘peace and stability’ in Afghanistan remains a pipe dream.

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The CIA in Pakistan : Not Licensed to Kill

There was a truly bizarre and telling paragraph at the end of a Wall Street Journal news report today on Pakistan’s demand that the US bring home hundreds of CIA and Special Forces personnel operating undercover in that country, and that it halt the drone strikes in the border regions abutting Afghanistan, which have been killing countless civilian men, women and children.

Reporters Adam Entous and Matthew Rosenberg, with no sense of irony, wrote:

The US hasn’t committed to adjusting the drone program in response to Pakistan’s request. The CIA operates covertly, meaning the program doesn’t require Islamabad’s support, under US law. Some officials say the CIA operates with relative autonomy in the tribal areas. They played down the level of support they now receive from Pakistan.

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