November 19, 2007 (LPAC)--Escalating its policy to destroy the nation of Pakistan, the Defense Department's Special Operations Command (SOC), has proposed, in a “new and classified” document, that there will be a “policy shift.” The U.S. should “enlist” tribal leaders in the frontier areas, to fight Al Qaeda and the Taliban, the New York Times reports. The proposal, the Times notes, is modeled, in part, on a similar effort by American forces in Anbar Province in Iraq to fight insurgents.

A strategy paper, prepared by staff members of the SOC, would expand U.S. military presence in Pakistan, where now there are only 50 troops. The strategy would be to directly finance a separate tribal paramilitary force, and pay militias that agreed to fight the “extremists.” Some elements of the plan, according to the Times, have already been approved, such as the training and equipping of the Frontier Corps, which has about 85,000 members, and is recruited from border tribes. This project awaits $350 million in funding.

Training this Frontier Corps remains a “concern” to some, as NATO and American soldiers in Afghanistan have blamed the Frontier Corps for aiding and abetting Taliban cross-border attacks, according to the Times. Apparently, the planning for this approach “intensified,” after Adm. Eric Olson became the head of the new Command, and discussed with Musharraf how the U.S. military could increase cooperation with Pakistan.