Pakistan sides with the Taliban

I can’t believe I’m quoting G W Bush, but he must have forgotten his battle cry anyway.  When Bush said “Youre either with us, or with the terrorists”, I guess he didn’t mean Pakistan. 

Pakistan which has been lauded as our BFF in the region throughout the Bush years (seemed like decades), also proved to be BFF with the Taliban.  And no wonder, since the Taliban were founded and nurtured by Pakistan and its ISI as a way to deny India inroads into Afghanistan. 

When the Taliban were run out of Afghanistan after 9/11, where did they go?  Why back home to Pakistan which welcomed them home.

You see Pakistan can’t break ties with the Taliban because the Taliban are Pakistan’s agents in Afghanistan.  Pakistan made their choice from the beginning — Pakistan is with the terrorists. 

Pakistan was willing to turn over some Al Qaeda to placate the US.  Pakistan was fine with that, they were giving up Arabs, but not the Taliban whom Pakistan never turned over to the US. 

There is no Afghan War, the war is with Al Qaeda and the Taliban.  That means where ever they are.  We learned from Geronimo all the way to Vietnam that you can’t defeat insurgency when they have safe havens to which they can flee.

Pakistan either can’t or refuses to protect its sovereignty and deny the Taliban free access to the borders and their training areas in Balochistan and Waziristan.  Therefore, they relinquish their sovereignty likewise to those who are fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda. 

Since Pakistan chose  to be on the side of the Taliban, Pakistan must reap what it has sown.  That or change side completely.

Pakistan seems to not notice that the Taliban and their ilk are now threatening Pakistan as well.  Perhaps the Pakistani army is okay with Pakistan going over to the Taliban.  But as long as they continue to play the game they have chosen, then they should not complain when the war spills over the border into Pakistan for real.

Of course, the real solution is a strong, stable Afghanistan.  That fact and the big job of getting there was lost on GW Bush and his cronies.  Which makes me wonder, since our policies allowed for the survival and resurgence of the Taliban, what side our own government was on, ultimately…

@antipov

Technorati Tags: afghanistan, failed nations, Bush, Rumsfeld, taliban, al qaeda, pakistan