Border clash raises Pak stakes

The deaths of 10 Pakistani troops in a firefight with Al Qaeda is the most telling sign yet that the war in Afghanistan has expanded eastwar...

The deaths of 10 Pakistani troops in a firefight with Al Qaeda is the most telling sign yet that the war in Afghanistan has expanded eastward into Pakistan, a development that could have far-reaching consequences for the government of President Pervez Musharraf.

The broadening of the war, which brought Pakistan8217;s first known military deaths in the US-led war against terrorism, effectively raises the stakes for all sides in the conflict. For Al Qaeda, it means that, after two months of pressure, the US has persuaded Pakistan8217;s military to attack members of the terrorist network that have taken refuge across the border.

For Musharraf, it means that his troops have now been killed by Al Qaeda, a group that enjoys some sympathy in Pakistan, especially in the border region. And for the US, it means that Pakistan 8212; the only Muslim country to possess nuclear weapons 8212; is now perhaps more important than Afghanistan as a front in the war on terrorism.

J-K division may split India

Washington: The US thanked Pakistan on Wednesday for Pakistani soldiers8217; sacrifice in their battle with suspected Al Qaeda men in the tribal area near Afghanistan. 8216;8216;We extend our deep appreciation to the Government of Pakistan8230;but deeply regret the deaths of soldiers killed in the line of duty,8217;8217; the State Department said in a statement.

Islamabad: Pakistan8217;s main political parties criticised the package of amendments released by President
Musharraf as unconstitutional. Already under attack by major political parties such as Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N, the proposals were also assailed by pro-government parties such as Imran Khan8217;s Pakistan-e-Insaf-Tehreek.

Calgary Canada: President Bush has officially nominated Nancy Powell as US Ambassador to Pakistan. Powell, a former Ambassador to Ghana, has been serving as temporary Charge d8217; Affaires in Islamabad since Ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin returned home to rejoin her family earlier this month. Agencies

8216;8216;This has probably moved Musharraf up a notch or two on Al Qaeda8217;s most wanted list,8217;8217; said Karl Inderfurth, a former assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs. Having Pakistanis in combat with Al Qaeda, he said, 8216;8216;is Musharraf8217;s worst nightmare8217;8217;.

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The outbreak of combat in Pakistan also raises the question of whether the US committed a strategic error by pursuing tactics that widened the war 8212; first in pushing Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan and into Pakistan, and then in pressuring Musharraf to attack them.

The expansion into Pakistan grew increasingly likely as US-led offensives in Tora Bora mountains and in Shahikot Valley pushed hundreds of Al Qaeda fighters eastward across the Afghan-Pakistani border.

US officials were conscious of the risks involved but felt they had no choice. 8216;8216;If we wipe out Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and turn Pakistan over to some other version of the Taliban, that8217;s a net loss, there8217;s no question,8217;8217; a senior Pentagon official said last fall. 8216;8216;But that8217;s an argument for succeeding in Pakistan, not for giving up.8217;8217;

US officials held to that line on Wednesday, saying there was no alternative. 8216;8216;It8217;s not good having Al Qaeda in that region8217;8217; of Pakistan, a US official said. 8216;8216;But it8217;s better than having them unencumbered in Afghanistan.8217;8217;

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For US officials, the outbreak of combat against Al Qaeda in Pakistan is beneficial because it means the terrorist network does not have a sanctuary there. Officials believe any time Al Qaeda spends defending themselves is time they can8217;t devote to planning new attacks.

Having made those calculations, US officials began in early May to push Pakistan to launch the attacks on concentrations of Al Qaeda that US intelligence was detecting in the border region. In mid-May, a senior official singled out the town of Wana, the location of Wednesday8217;s firefight, as the refuge of hundreds of Al Qaeda fighters.

8216;8216;We8217;ve been after them the Pakistanis to attack, and we haven8217;t made much progress,8217;8217; he said. One bright light for Musharraf is that the two Al Qaeda fighters killed in the firefight appear to be of Chechen origin, Inderfurth said.

Their apparent origin outside Pakistan, and from outside ethnic Pashtuns who dominate populations both sides of the border, makes it easier to blame the violence on foreigners, Inderfurth said. But the incident may foreshadow extended inside Pakistan, experts said.

LA Times-Washington Post