All roads lead to Pakistan…(once again)
An article in the IHT (Afghans and NATO routinely find Pakistani link to bombs, Pg 4, Nov 14 ’06 on how the trail of ‘every single member or IED in on e way or another is linked to Pakistan‘.
The article mentions how the ranks of Taliban have swelled to 10,000 a year and how an embattled Bush administration is doing its best to push the Pakistanis and Afghans into ‘greater cooperation’ to deal with the problem.
What the article does not mention is that caught in a royal mess amidst the “axis of evil”, Bush has little stamina or the desire to enter into another larger and potentially even more drawn out and dangerous conflict with Pakistan.
I have said this before and I will mention it again:In ignoring Pakistamn, Bush and the US are breeding possibly the most dangerous demon of Islamic fascism that we are likely to see in the years ahead. Ignoring the danger of a Pakistan ruled by Islamic fanatics will prove to be the undoing of US’ strategy in the Middle East and combating Islamic terrorism..
As an aside, do read Brahma Chellaney’s articleon how the West gets away with remarkable double standards in dealing with Iran/North Korea on one hand and Pakistan on the other.
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Image courtesy: maps.google.co.in
Well, I dont really think that US has any other option. They need a nation they can play with in the Muslim world and Pakistan is the easiest target coz all they have to do to persuade Pak is to wade some notes or fly some F-16s. 🙂
From Most terrorist plots have ties to Pakistan: study by Stewart Bell, July 6, 2011:
TORONTO — Most of the major terrorist plots against the West since 2004 had links to Pakistan, including two that targeted Canada, says a study to be released today by a U.S. think tank.
In just over half of the 32 “serious” plots identified in the New America Foundation study, the participants had received either training or direction from jihadists in Pakistan.
The findings underscore Pakistan’s role as al-Qaeda’s primary safe haven, despite recent concerns about countries like Yemen, writes investigative journalist Paul Cruickshank, the study’s author.
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In 53% of terror plots, members of the groups involved had trained in Pakistan, compared with 6% in Yemen, 3% in Iraq and 38% where no overseas training occurred, the study says.
Forty-four percent of the plots were directed by jihadist groups in Pakistan, while 6% were directed from Yemen, 3% from Iraq and 47% had no clear overseas direction.