Afghan war moves deeper into Pakistan

[unhappycamper]

Afghan war moves deeper into Pakistan
By Syed Saleem Shahzad
Oct 7, 2010

ISLAMABAD - Information supplied by a Pakistani-German jihadi led to the United States Predator drone attack in Pakistan on Monday in which at least eight other Germans were killed, Asia Times Online has learned.

A senior Pakistani security official said the two missile strikes near the town of Mir Ali in the North Waziristan tribal area followed intelligence passed on by Rami Mackenzie, 27, during interrogation following his arrest in the middle of this year by Pakistani security officials in Bannu, the principal city of Bannu district in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province.

At the time of his capture, Pakistani authorities said they believed Mackenzie, who had been disguised in a traditional woman's burqa, was an expert in manufacturing suicide vests.

Drone attacks have been significantly stepped up in the past few months - there were a record 22 in September - since the arrest in July in Kabul of Afghan-German Ahmad Siddiqi. He revealed that al-Qaeda was planning attacks in London, Paris, Berlin and other European cities similar to those carried out in Mumbai, India, in November 2008 in which 166 people were killed and scores wounded.

The threat of attacks has set off a Europe-wide travel alert issued by the United States.

[malaise]

1. And more gas tankers

are burning this morning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11482061
<snip>
Gunmen in Pakistan have torched at least 10 oil tankers carrying fuel for Nato vehicles in Afghanistan in the latest such attack in recent days.

A driver died in the ambush near the south-western city of Quetta.

The number of attacks on tankers has soared in the last week since one of the main routes into Afghanistan was shut by the Pakistani authorities.
Continue reading the main story
Taliban Conflict

The Torkham crossing was closed after three Pakistani soldiers died in a Nato air strike near the Afghan border.

Islamabad has not yet said when the Khyber Pass crossing will reopen.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Anyone who hasn't read Woodward's book "Obama's Wars" should.

A main point of the book is how Pakistan is the key.

[malaise]

4. The key to what?

The pipeline! This is about stealing oil.

[malaise]

3. Update - 24 tankers n/t