Congress Should Challenge US Military Escalation in Pakistan by Robert Naiman

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/congress-should-challenge_b_80923.html

Congress Should Challenge US Military Escalation in Pakistan
January 10, 2008 | 01:34 PM (EST)

The Bush Administration is considering expanding the authority of the
CIA and the military to conduct "far more aggressive covert operations
in the tribal areas of Pakistan," the New York Times reports. The
Times reports confirms that as many as 50 American personnel, special
forces or CIA, already operate clandestinely inside Pakistan, and that
White House and Pentagon officials "see an opportunity in the changing
power structure for the Americans to advocate for ... expanded
authority in Pakistan."

As Tom Hayden has noted, members of Congress and Presidential
candidates have not raised significant voices of opposition to or
questioned the unfolding plan; indeed, many leading Democrats seem to
accept or even endorse the idea of a US military escalation.

But even current US officials acknowledge that a US military
escalation in Pakistan could "result in a tremendous backlash and
ultimately do more harm than good," the Times reports.

Hayden notes that such a US military escalation would likely involve
direct military confrontation with Pashtun nationalists. This runs
that risk that the US will be perceived as intervening militarily in
intra-Pakistani ethnic conflict. We've seen in Iraq what this could
unleash. This week the Washington Post reported that the Bhutto
assassination has dramatically exacerbated ethnic tensions in
Pakistan.

Next week, a House Foreign Relations subcommittee will hold a public
hearing on US policy towards Pakistan. This would be an opportunity
for Representatives to raise their voices and ask questions. There
should be more hearings and questions raised in the House and Senate;
there should be Congressional letters and resolutions, and these
things need to be reported in the press. Presidential candidates
should be challenged to oppose US military escalation. It's extremely
dangerous for there to be a perception that the Administration has a
blank check from Congress for military escalation in Pakistan;
questions need to be raised now.

--
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org