US President Barack Obama has responded to right wing Republicans skeptics over his national security credentials by preparing an "elite group" of 4000 US troops to go and "eliminate" Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
The news from the US was immediately reacted to by reports from Pakistan suggesting that Osama Bin Laden has an imminent plot against the US and its allies organized from Al Qaeda'a HQ in Pakistan.
Bloombergs has confirmed that "Obama is set to unveil his new strategy for the eight-year- old conflict in Afghanistan tomorrow. The goal is to disrupt, weaken and ultimately destroy havens and support for al-Qaeda, whose leaders, including Osama bin Laden, are now in Pakistan and plotting new attacks against the U.S., the officials, who briefed reporters on the plan, said."
This has been interpreted as an attempt by the new US President targeting a team of experienced US soldiers to "eliminate" Bin Laden.
Obama last month elevated the war in Afghanistan as a priority when he ordered 17,000 more U.S. troops to the region. There were about 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and 38,000 in Afghanistan, as of March 6, said Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wright, a Pentagon spokesman.
But the source said the new plan would focus on destroying safe havens in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan where Bin Laden is believed to be hiding.
He added: "For the first time, we are approaching this problem as two countries - Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"But as one challenge and one theatre for our diplomacy and our reconstruction efforts to work in. We see this as an integrated problem."
He said Mr Obama had briefed Afghan and Pakistani officials on the new strategy but told them there would be "no blank checks" for aid.
Meanwhile London is preparing for an “unprecedented” security threat provoked by the G20 summit to be held in the capital next week. Reports suggest that SAS, and the Met’s CO19 will be on call throughout London for any threats.
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