Pentagon Meddling in Native Politics OR Here we go Again.

U.S. pentagon officials are considering beefing up funding and recruitment for "tribal" paramilitary forces in Pakistan to fight against Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, reports the New York Times.

If adopted, the proposal would join elements of a shift in strategy that would also be likely to expand the presence of American military trainers in Pakistan, directly finance a separate tribal paramilitary force that until now has proved largely ineffective and pay militias that agree to fight Al Qaeda and foreign extremists, officials said. The United States now has only about 50 troops in Pakistan, a Pentagon spokesman said, a force that could grow by dozens under the new approach.

The new proposal is modeled in part on a similar effort by American forces in Anbar Province in Iraq that has been hailed as a great success in fighting foreign insurgents there. But it raises the question of whether such partnerships can be forged without a significant American military presence on the ground in Pakistan. And it is unclear whether enough support can be found among the tribes.

Isn't this how Al Qaeda came to prominence in the first place?

Some nuts at the Pentagon thought they could fund Afghan groups to fight the USSR in 1979, and didn't consider the lasting effects of meddling in a culture that they didn't understand. And a pro-west puppet leader fell from control as a more angry elements came to power.

Deja vu?