[rmnunez]

Russia has no interest or claims in the region other than whatever they could gain antagonizing or supporting one of the others. I provided a map to help show how the region is divided into areas of disputed claim, the boundaries within the region are disputed too. If the US sent troops in without Chinese, Pakistani and Indian permission, the three of them would have to attack those troops to maintain their claims. If the US sent troops in with Pakistani permission, only China and India would need to attack them. Regardless of what permission they had, US troops would be challenged based on where they were located inside the region with its disputed boundaries. This is why Perv is right to say its better the US not deploy troops here. However we can see how Pakistan wouldn't be of much help beyond the areas clearly within their disputed boundaries so OBL and his followers could simply move into the adjacent area beyond the Pakistani claim. Ideally Pakistan, India and China would all pitch in and help hunt down and erradicate these terrorists, but these are the Himalayan foothills, a terribly inhospitable environment and its hard to move around, forces need special training and supplies to survive and fight in high altitudes.