OBAMA TURNS UP LEGAL PRESSURE ON THE TALIBAN. REALLY.

NYTIMES: U.S. Turns Up [LEGAL] Pressure on Pakistani Taliban

The United States government on Wednesday ratcheted up legal pressures against the Pakistani Taliban, the Al Qaeda-linked group accused of a role in the failed Times Square bombing in May and in the suicide-bombing at a C.I.A. base in Afghanistan in December.

The Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the group, accusing him of conspiring in the attack at the Central Intelligence Agency base in Khost. Seven United States citizens were killed by a suicide bomber, in one of the largest single-day losses of life in the agency’s history.

Meanwhile, the State Department completed the process of labeling the Pakistani Taliban as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” and Mr. Mehsud and his top deputy, Wali Ur Rehman, as “Specially Designated Global Terrorists.” The move makes it a crime to provide material support or to do business with them, and it allows the government to freeze assets are linked to them.

The State Department also announced that it would pay a reward of $5 million each for information leading to the location of Mr. Mehsud or Mr. Rehman.

The C.I.A. has also been trying to kill Mr. Mehsud with drone missile attacks, and his death has been erroneously reported in the past. The criminal charges would allow the United States to seek his extradition if he were captured by another government.

INSTEAD OF INDICTMENTS, REWARDS AND PIN-PRICK DRONE ATTACKS (WHICH HAVE YIELDED NOTHING), WHY NOT USE THE BIG STUFF!?

FDR WOULD'VE; TRUMAN, TOO.

IT MAKES NO SENSE TO TREAT THESE GUYS LIKE CRIMINALS.

FDR DIDN'T INDICT HITLER.

FDR FOUGHT TOTAL WAR.

IF WE REALLY WANT TO WIN, WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO FIGHT TOTAL WAR.

WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT.

WE WONT EVEN USE BUNKER BUSTERS ON THE TALIBAN FOR FEAR OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

AS LONG AS WE FIGHT WITH ONE HAND HELD BEHIND OUR BACK AND THE OTHER WAVING UN RESOLUTIONS AND INDICTMENTS WE WILL NOT WIN.

WE DO NOT MERELY HAVE A DIPLOMACY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM.

IT'S WAR.

LIKE IT OR NOT, IT'S WAR.

WE SHOULD START BEHAVING LIKE WE ACCEPT THIS.

WE NEED TO USE THE BIG STUFF AND GIVE OUR TROOPS ROE WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO WIN.

PERIOD.