Update 9/28/08:  Pakistani and American ground troops exchanged fire along the border with Afghanistan on Thursday, a top American military official said, ratcheting up tensions as the United States increases its attacks against militants in Pakistan’s restive tribal areas.  American and NATO officials said that the two helicopters were flying about one mile inside Afghan airspace to protect an American and Afghan patrol on the ground when the aircraft were fired on by troops at a Pakistani military checkpoint near the Tanai district in Khost Province. The officials said small-caliber arms were used.   In response, the American ground troops shot short bursts of warning fire, which hit well shy of the checkpoint, and the Pakistanis fired back, said Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a spokesman for the United States Central Command.

Update 9/ 16/08: Pakistani soldiers fired at American reconnaissance helicopters that were escorting Afghan and U.S. ground troops along the volatile border Thursday, sparking a five-minute ground battle between the countries which have been allies in the war on terrorism, officials said. Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari lashed out at the United States after their troops traded gunfire sparked by claims Pakistan forces shot at two US helicopters for alleged violation of airspace on the border with Afghanistan. The US military said the helicopters were within Afghanistan territory providing cover for patrols in pursuit of militants when it came under fire from Pakistani troops, resulting in the exchange of gunshots by the two sides.
Pakistan's military said its troops fired warning shots at the helicopters, which it insisted were "well within Pakistani territory." In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Zardari said Pakistan would not tolerate violations of its sovereignty, even by its allies. "Just as we will not let Pakistani's territory to be used by terrorists for attacks against our people and our neighbors, we cannot allow our territory and our sovereignty to be violated by our friends," he said without citing the United States or the border flareup.

Update 9/ 16/08:  Pakistan Military has given orders to it's soldiers to open fire on any U.S. forces that cross over into Pakistan from over the Afghanistan border .  The strong stance is a result of the U.S. cross border  raid by U.S. special forces last week.  The cross border intrusion led to tensions between the two former allies on the war on terror.  It appears that Pakistan is under great pressure as it is consumed by radical Taliban militants that have began to have more influence in the country .  Islamic Militants have been crossing  the border into Afghanistan to fight U.S. forces and have also been crossing in Kashmir to continue it's jihad against India.  In Pakistan itself, the new government is extremely weak and fragile as the Taliban and associated Islamic militants continue to conduct suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks  Pakistan is in the midst of being consumed by the Taliban as a struggle for the hearts and minds is being won by terrorists inside the country..

For seven years America and Coalition forces have been involved in the Afghanistan War.  Initial early success surprised many, but was rightly credited to the professionalism and toughness of American and Coalition forces.  A U.S. backed democratically elected president took office in Kabul and the Taliban appeared to be in disarray following the routing they took from the initial bombings and assaults from Coalition forces. Then the forces backed off.  A new war was born in Iraq and Afghanistan became less important.  It wasn't that Osama bin Laden or Ayman al Zawahiri,  were caught, nor was Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. It was at this moment the the clock began ticking.  The job wasn't finished. 

As the world shifted it's attention to the War in Iraq, the Taliban and al Qaeda was reorganizing, recruiting and training.  Just as in the prior war in Afghanistan against the Soviets that invaded during 1979 and remained until the super power's defeat in the late eighties, the Mujihadeen fighters will come.  They have come.  The media and even Terroristplanet.com likes to use the term Taliban and al Qaeda, but in this war their is no difference or distinction they are one and the same. Many are the same fighters that beat the Soviets and forced a withdraw.  The lesson that should have been learned by the U.S. at the expense of the Soviet Union was that this is an enemy that is not beaten that easily. It is an enemy that you can not let off the ropes.  It is not a war any longer where gaining ground is important, because the second you let it go they will get it back.  It is how long are you willing to hold onto it.  This trap has been played out before and from this point forward America and Coalition forces will have their toughest test yet. 

The Taliban has rebounded and has done so progressively over the last few years.  They watched and learned from the Iraq war and have been gaining ground for some time.  The Taliban and al Qaeda are using the Afghanistan - Pakistan border as a revolving door.  Striking at coalition troops on the Afghanistan side and returning to the virtual safety of the Pakistan side of the border to plan the next day's assault on American and coalition troops.  It is a nonstop agonizing game of cat and mouse.  The mouse always makes it back to the mouse hole just before the cat can clamp down on the much smaller foe.   It is a war now that says the cat has to be willing to chase the mouse into the small holes.  To this point the game has been in favor of the Taliban.  However, things are about to change.  It appears that America has decided that the war that should have been fought years before is now on the American Agenda again.  It is more important to win in Afghanistan and Pakistan than it was to win in Iraq. After all that is where the terrorists are.  

As America crosses into the unknown of what will come from an escalation of the war by now including Pakistan as a battleground things are going to change.  As American troops push the Taliban and al Qaeda groups will push back as well.  As of today 9/11/2008, the insurgency now stretches from Afghanistan's border with Iran through the southern half of the country. The Taliban now are able to interdict three of the four major highways that connect Kabul , the capital, to the rest of the country.  The time that America has not concentrated on the Pakistan -Afghanistan situation is now about to blow up.  In speaking of the current situation in Afghanistan,  Admiral Michael Mullen made some disturbing and eye opening remarks.  "I am not convinced we are winning it in Afghanistan ," Adm. Michael Mullen , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, conceded before a congressional committee on Tuesday 9/9/2008. 

In Pakistan things do not seem any rosier.  It was just in August that an eerie warning came out of Pakistan from the since newly elected widower of Benazir Bhutto.  As of the last days of August in 2008, Pakistan's government looks to be in shambles and is giving the Taliban fighters the opportunity that they have been waiting for to make there moves.  The Pakistani Taliban have "the upper hand" and should be put on the list of banned organizations in Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto's widower has said.  Asif Ali Zardari said, in a BBC interview, that the world and Pakistan were losing the war on terror.  "It is an insurgency", he said, "and an ideological war. It is our country and we will defend it. "The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they (the Taliban) definitely have the upper hand. "The issue, which is not just a bad case scenario as far as Pakistan is concerned or as Afghanistan is concerned but it is going to be spreading further. The whole world is going to be affected by it."