BUB: Pakistan Death of US Troops

Collecting some of the articles about the deaths of US troops in Pakistan.

So the deaths in Pakistan of 3 US special ops troops was the result of a suicide attack that rammed their car.

The fact that the deaths weren't even accurately reported right after it happenedjust goes to show how touchy the topic is.

The bombing that killed three U.S. Special Operations troops in Pakistan on Wednesday has exposed one of the U.S. military's most sensitive missions -- training an elite paramilitary force in counterinsurgency.
The Pentagon does not generally talk publicly about the presence of U.S. troops in Pakistan, where anti-American sentiment is high and conspiracy theories abound over what the U.S. military is doing there and whether it infringes on the country's sovereignty.
Tensions have been stoked by increased U.S. pilotless drone attacks against targets in the border region where militants have sought sanctuary and launched attacks on U.S. troops fighting the insurgency in Afghanistan.
U.S. defense officials say, in all, there are some 200 U.S. military personnel in Pakistan, including troops that guard the sprawling American embassy in Islamabad.
Among them are more than 100 Special Operations troops training the Pakistani Frontier Corps, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the issue is so sensitive.

Especially in Pakistan, where the people are not happy with the government.

The Taliban bombing that killed three U.S. special forces soldiers in Pakistan on Wednesday could further weaken the government and hurt U.S. efforts to win more backing in the fight against militants.

While the presence of U.S. soldiers to train paramilitary forces is hardly a secret, it is a highly sensitive matter in Pakistan, where anti-American anger runs high.

"It will only convince the public, even moderate Pakistanis who are anti-Taliban, that the government is doing nothing expect lying to them, and the military (is) for that matter," said Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani analyst and expert on militants.

"It will be a big blow for public morale."

Wednesday's attack at a girls' school near the Afghan border is likely to generate elaborate conspiracy theories, with one simple question already asked: Why were special ops troops attending the inauguration of a girls school anyway?

First television channels said the dead foreigners were journalists, then officials said they were aid workers. Only later did the Pakistani military and the U.S. embassy say they were American soldiers.

By: Brant