Pakistan Retaliates & the Taliban Have Their "Tet" Offensive
It was expected. Both events, after the assassination of Osama Bin Laden by US Navy Seals. Pakistan is being quietly furious at themselves for being such incompetant fools by allowing the al-Qaeda leader and his family to live there since 2003. During the summer months, al-qaeda used it as a "get away" spot. Now, Pakistan is worried that the US has some documentation proving elements of the Pakistani Army or Intelligence were aiding and abetting them, paid by Osama. Money always talks loud! Pakistan is also trying to convince its own people that they were actually in "cahoots" with the planning of the US mission in some low level way. Some idiots there continue to claim Osama is not dead claiming some US conspiracy. You know, if Pakistan had no nukes, the US would not need Pakistan for they are more trouble than they are worth.
So, in the spirit of retaliation, someone in Pakistan released to the public the name of the CIA station chief in Islamabad. Like monkeys, every Pakistani points their finger at someone else as who released it, previously a secret for security reasons. American officials are demanding to speak with the wives and others taken from the Bin Laden raid, which Pakistani have been questioning. Nyet, is their rely.
The Taliban took a lesson from the North Vietnamese Tet offensive in 1968, which completely took America by surprise. While it failed, it shook the public confidence about the ability of America to win the war for years afterwards. For the Taliban, with the help of insiders ( of course!) the city of Kandahar, home of the Taliban, caused mayhem and murder for 32 hours before it all petered out. In the two days, the city did fall to its knees despite American troops and their Afghan police. The attack was much smaller scale with about 60 Taliban wearing suicide vests and in vehicles stormed the Kandahar key government buildings. Another 40 men occupied the electric plant, a three story shopping mall, a school and main hotel. Both sides claim different losses: the US states only 22 were killed, the Taliban claim 116. There is a good chance BOTH sides are lying.
Reading in between the lines, Afghan and US officials clearly are impressed that the Taliban strength in large operations is improving, as the attack was a surprise, much like the much larger Tet Offensive in 1968. It is not a good omen for the remaining American forces.
