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[Aqizzar]

The government of Pakistan has officially demanded that the United States withdraw over 300 CIA agents and contractors stationed in Pakistan, virtually the entire American intelligence presence, including adjunct-advisers to the Pakistani military.  This follows a still very murky event in which an undercover CIA operative shot and killed two Pakistani men, possibly undercover ISI agents, in a bizarre Reservoir Dogs meets Burn After Reading style altercation.

Naturally, almost nobody in Pakistan actually trusts the United States, partly for all the normal conspiratorial reasons, and partly for the very real relations disaster of the US's strategy of using drone strikes from Afghanistan to target enemy agents in northern Pakistan, causing a tremendous amount of collateral damage.  It should be noted that President Obama authorized more such drone strikes in his first year in office than President Bush did in seven.  Naturally, the Pakistani government is in a lot of hot water with its own people for "allowing" this.  Not that they need a reason to be conflicted - the Pakistani military/security apparatus has always considered India its most important concern, and has throughout modern history liked having the various Afghan militant groups on speed-dial as a bludgeon, overtly or covertly.

Needless to say, this is a pretty significant turning point in a war approaching its tenth year, with no clear goal in sight.  Pakistan has been essentially the equal second front of that war, and the actual government there has declared the American force persona non grata.

[Strife26]

Woo! 2nd tour: Pakistan!


Yeah, I've got nothing.

[nenjin]

Naturally, almost nobody in Pakistan actually trusts the United States, partly for all the normal conspiratorial reasons, and partly for the very real relations disaster of the US's strategy of using drone strikes from Afghanistan to target enemy agents in northern Pakistan, causing a tremendous amount of collateral damage.

And because Pashtunis have support on both sides of the borders. It's never been clear how much of the Pakistani government has been cooperating in really cracking down on Taliban fighters and support coming over their border. Officially, they've said they're doing all they can. But they've also officially said they're not opposed to Taliban control of Afghanistan before, either. There's all sorts of whacky political/border issues at work.

As for this most recent development...the bad blood has been building and building and building. I wonder what this will do to the US military's logistics. If it's bad enough....it might force a real reduction in troops levels purely for financial reasons, given the political climate over here. Supporting the war in Afghanistan suddenly costing 2x as much because we have to fly in troops and equipment and shit from that much farther could just be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

[Strife26]

Are they not letting our stuff be driven through pakistan too? That'd be . . . bad.

[nenjin]

It doesn't read that way yet, but, I'd expect that's the next logical step. Especially if the hard-liners are making decisions.

[Zrk2]

Pakistan has something of a love-hate relationship with the USA, so I'm really curious to see how this could turn out. It will definitely have some wide reaching effects on the middle east and western foreign policy.

OK, serious time over. Can we please have a James Bond movie go down in Pakistan now? Plllleeeeaaaaaaaasssse?

That sounded a lot better before I read it.

[Max White]

Wait, this war is going into ten years? Fuck, I'm only 19! This has practicably been going on for half my life. Scary realisation there.


So, does this mean it will be even longer before we see an end to this?

[Zrk2]

There will be no end, you see the new face of colonialism RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.

Enjoy!

[Strife26]

It'll end, just like Iraq's ending. We're doing good work and have a good strategy.

[Nikov]

It'll end, just like Iraq's ending. We're doing good work and have a good strategy.

The Iraq war is not only over but ended well? HERESY!

[Strife26]

Overing. In the process of becoming over? Something like that. And it could be a lot worse over there.

[Grakelin]

Are they not letting our stuff be driven through pakistan too? That'd be . . . bad.

Yeah, it seems like all of the staging bases in the Middle East are starting to be politic'd out one by one. First we can't fly over Dubai, next we can't get through Pakistan. I guess there's always Doha.

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

I am actually surprised it took this long.  They have been complaining about the drone strikes since the first ones hit (2007?ish ithink).  Pakistan immediately told the US to stop doing it but we didnt.  I have been wondering when it was finally going to hit the fan.

[Zangi]

I am actually surprised it took this long.  They have been complaining about the drone strikes since the first ones hit (2007?ish ithink).  Pakistan immediately told the US to stop doing it but we didnt.  I have been wondering when it was finally going to hit the fan.

Same. 

Boiling point reached.  Do you keep going full steam? Y/N

[Dutchling]

They want to get rid of the CIA?
Of course they want to get rid of the CIA, who does not want to get rid of them? I mean, they might gather useful  'intelligence', but what are the chances that it will actually contribute to anything other than war?