This weekend, claiming self-defense, American forces in eastern Afghanistan have launched attacks into Pakistan. Commanders say that the attacks were in response to members of the Taliban having launched rebel attacks on US outposts.
The artillery strikes, politically sensitive due to a recent Pakistani peace agreement, were launched with what 10th Mountain Division commander Colonel John Nicholson called radar-pinpointed accuracy. According to boston.com, Nicholson unequivocally stated that, “We do not allow the enemy to fire…on our soldiers, and we have the inherent right of self-defense.”
The peace agreement has caused tension between the U.S. and Pakistani leaderships, since it has allowed Taliban and Al Qaeda forces to have relative ease in gathering in the Waxiristan area of the nation. On the flip side, the firing by coalition soldiers has left Pakistan’s top Army spokesman ready to investigate Nicholson’s comments.
The Taliban has been increasingly making attempts to sneak into U.S. Army bases as of late, and the threat members pose to soldiers has left them prepared to defend themselves as much as they need to. “I mean we’re talking World War I type of stuff…very sharp, intense fights,” said Nicholson. “They’ll keep coming back.”
Timothy Young, a sophomore majoring in Adventure Education, asked, “Did we make a declaration of war against Pakistan? No. Therefore, we should not have attacked.”
Junior Leal Rivanis, however, disagreed. “We’re doing our job to protect the world from terrorists. We’ve proven to the world that Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization, so it is justified that we did what we did.”
The situation is just one of the many tests facing Nicholson’s soldiers; their tour has been extended from 12 to 16 months due to suspicion of a Taliban offensive in the spring.