Paks send another 10,000 troops to fight Taliban

PTI:

Pakistan will deploy an additional 10,000 troops in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan to prevent incursions by the Taliban and al-Qaeda militants, a move opposed by the Islamist parties, which said it could effect the peace process in the volatile region.

The move to increase deployment of troops from the present 80,000 to 90000 was announced by Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri after talks with visiting US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice here last night.

"We had 80,000 (troops). We've decided to increase that by another 10,000 troops and Secretary Rice was given some indication of that by the President of how that will happen, how more troops are going to be there. But we've already done that in anticipation," Kasuri said replying to a question.

He said Pakistan continues to cooperate in the campaign against terrorism in its own national interest.

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Pakistan clearly needed more troops in the area and 90,000 still might not be enough. That is where the enemy in Afghanistan is finding sanctuary and if the Paks can't find them and destroy them, the NATO forces should be allowed come in and clean out the area and capture Osama bin Laden at the same time.