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Pakistan on the Brink Of

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A Takeover By Taliban & Al Qaeda

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Editor's Note: "We Told You So"

This is a special report with numerous news articles on the critical situation re-developing again in Pakistan. For A-O Donors - you will recall that we warned this situation would emerge as the Taliban forces were planning a spring offensive to take over Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. So far, their success in Pakistan has been stunning with little effective opposition from the Pakistani Army. The next few days will be critical to sustain the current pro-western government in Pakistan. A collapse to the Islamic radicals will give radical Muslims the opportunity to gain control of perhaps as many as 40 to 60 strategic nuclear weapons.

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Taliban Threatens Pakistan's Capital

Taliban forces are pressing their guerillas forces towards Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad threatening to take over that nation's capital and overthrow the pro-western government and seize control of that nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. Radical Muslim forces are now located just 60 miles from the national capital.

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton says that the Taliban threat in Pakistan is a "mortal threat" to the world and not merely to the Pakistani government. For more details, LINK HERE.  LINK 2 HERE.

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Pakistan vs Taliban

Taliban Shifts Forces But Hold's Pakistani Valley

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, who visited Pakistan for two days this week, expressed alarm on Friday over the developments. “I am extremely concerned,” he said, during a visit to southern Afghanistan.

“The situation there is definitely worse than it was two weeks ago,” he said. “They need aggressive leadership that takes action.” LINK HERE.

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Pakistan's Nukes in Safe Hands?

 Islamabad: Pakistan Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday addressed growing international concerns on the Taliban’s advance towards Islamabad, saying the country’s defence is in “safe hands” and its nuclear programme completely secure.

“If anyone casts an evil eye on Pakistan, it will be over our dead bodies,” said Mr. Gilani while participating in a debate in the National Assembly or Lower House of Parliament.  LINK HERE.

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US Military Worried About

Taliban Conquest of Pakistan

Observing that things are moving closer to the tipping point, a top US military official today said that he was "extremely concerned" and "frustrated" about the Taliban's recent moves closer to Pakistan's capital of Islamabad. "Well, I think we're certainly closer to the tipping point. I don't think that we're there. But events continue to move in the wrong direction," Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff, told the NBC news channel in an interview.

Mullen is currently travelling to Afghanistan and the interview was taken by the NBC correspondent in Kabul. It was telecast this morning. He said he shares the concerns of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about the Swat which is now an area that is completely under the control of the Taliban. "I'm increasingly both concerned and frustrated at the progression of the danger," he added. More details, LINK HERE.

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Nuke Fears Prompts Pak Army

To Prepare Counter-Attack on Taliban

Thousands of Pakistani troops were massing for an assault on advancing Taliban forces which advanced to just 65 miles from Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad. The Taliban now controls more than half of the Pakistan with their latest advance campaign.

The biggest concern of course is that the Taliban will capture some or all of Pakistan's nuclear weapons arsenal giving the Islamic radicals a nuclear capability.

Secretary of State Clinton stated late in the week the growing concern of the White House about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear stockpile when she stated that the Taliban "poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world."

More details, LINK HERE.

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Pakistani Nukes At Great Risk

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday warned that Pakistan had dispersed its nuclear weapons throughout the country, increasing the risk they could fall into terrorist hands. New satellite images have been interpreted as suggesting that Pakistan is increasing its capacity to produce plutonium. Referring to a truce with Taliban, Clinton said, “Why are we so concerned about this? One of the reasons is nuclear weapons.”“We spend a lot of time worrying about Iran. Pakistan already has them, and they are widely dispersed in the country.” daily times monitor LINK HERE.

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US General Warns on Pakistan

America's top commander in Asia issued a warning on Friday (4-24) that Al Qaeda and Taliban extremists in Pakistan are posing "an ever more serious threat to Pakistan's very existence." General David H. Petraeus said that Pakistan's leaders must act to counter the challenge with a well-trained military counter-insurgency force. The American general requested more congressional funding for additional US training of Pakistani forces and additional equipiment to the Pakistani military now engaged in combat with the Islamic radicals for control of Pakistan.

Petraeus noted that Pakistan must reconfigure its military forces to deal with counterinsurgency operations rather than to continue its conventional focus on traditional rival India. Already, portions of the Pakistani Army have been redirected from defensive positions along the border with India to tackle the radical religious zealots that had been marching forward to the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad. The arrival of the Frontier Corps to the frontal positions of the Taliban triggered a sudden pullback of Taliban forces from parts of the Buner territory while other Taliban fighters remain positions in the hisllside country prepared for combat with the newly arrived Pakistani forces.

The problem with the Pakistani Army is that it is ill-trained for combat with insurgent guerilla foces which use different combat strategies and tactics than those employed by conventional armies such as Pakistan's historic nemesis, the Indian Army. General Petraeus is seeking more US money to train the entire Pakistani Army in the strategy and tactics needed to battle guerilla forces. For more details - LINK HERE.

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