for those who think things in Afghanistan are "doing just fine"

[winterbadger]

The US and Pakistan have fiddled while al Qa'ida and the Taliban have reestablished themselves in Pakistan's Baluchistan and Tribal districts. We're almsot back to square one, but with our enemies being sheltered in a "friendly" country, while money flows into their coffers from the Gulf Arabs and the Saudis.

And we don't even seem to be doing a good job of holding onto Afghanistan.

Comments

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

Is there something happening in Afghanistan? I haven't heard about that country in years since we obliterated the Taliban.

[winterbadger]

:-/ Indeed.

I had someone tell me the other day in conversation that "things in Afghanistan were going pretty well; we've got stuff mostly wrapped up there". I could only assume that he was referring to Afghanistan in Bizarro-World.

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

He actually meant that things were wrapped up in an Afghan. You misunderstood, of course. ;-)

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm being funny, but when it comes down to it, I am really worried about how that area is going to be in 5-10-20 years. It could explode in violence and it's pretty bad now.

[winterbadger]

D'oh! Of course! :-)

(Wouldn't the Afghan bark and squirm a lot, though?)

[winterbadger]

Well, the thing that struck me when reading all that was that it sounds as if the Tribal Districts are much like they were when the British were running India (whihc included Pakistan at that point, of course). Except that the British usually managed to find political officers to deal with the tribes who understood them and were able to negotiate effectively with them from a position of strength. Because the British Army and security services were not thoroughly infiltrated with Islamist sympathizers. We're never going to accomplish anything serious in Pakistan, IMO, because the Pakistani intelligence services are in sympathy with the Islamists, and so are a good portion of the army. :-( From what little I know of it, Pakistan is a deeply riven country, with a huge range of political and religious perspectives, from pro-Western, modern people liek the author of that article right the way through to people who make Ayatollah Khomeini look moderate and broad-minded.