I've been watching and waiting for the axe to fall on the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and it looks like it's started.
General McChrystal sent his troop request to the Pentagon, then took his plan and his views to the media, which I didn't think was a very good idea. And sure enough, instead of motivating the Obama Administration to send more troops, all it's done is infuriate the Commander-in-Chief.
It's very unfortunate that General McChrystal didn't bide his time and speak privately with his boss.
I'm no fan of the Obama Administration, but there are written and unwritten rules between the military brass and the President, and it appears that a few lines were crossed. This is very unfortunate, and I hope that he and President Obama are able to get through this and move on to addressing what needs to be done to destroy the enemy.
Showing posts with label taliban. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taliban. Show all posts
Monday, October 05, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
U.S. Relations With Pakistan Sometimes Need Secrecy: Blabbing About It Won't Help Pakistan's Situation on the Ground
The U.S. relationship with Pakistan has always been a little tricky, especially in recent decades. And some arrangements have had to be done in secret in order to keep the various Pakistani governments out of trouble with their own people and with the wider Muslim world.
For instance, when it was decided in the 1980s that the U.S. was going to supply Afghan freedom fighters with anti-aircraft missiles and other heavy weapons to shoot down Soviet Hind gunships and hurt the Red Army, a deal was struck between Israel, the U.S. and Pakistan, which insisted upon secrecy out of fear of offending not only the Soviets, but also the Muslim world by working with the Israelis.
In the early days of the campaign, the Israelis would help provide Soviet-built or inspired weapons, and would transfer them to Pakistan, who would be in charge of getting the weapons to the mujaheddin who were killing Soviet soldiers.
That story was not publicly known until well after the Soviet Red Army withdrew from Afghanistan.
The Soviets were aware of Pakistan's involvement in the Soviet-Afghan War later on; they took enough prisoners during the war to confirm that the Pakistanis were arming the Afghan rebels; the KGB and their Afghan allies struck at a munitions depot outside of Islamabad in 1988, and carried out more than one hundred attacks on targets inside of Pakistan throughout the duration of the war.
Fast forward to earlier this week. The British news story that showed American aircraft at a Pakistani base in 2006 hasn't helped the Pakistani government. They're surrendering territory to the Taliban even now, and this story will only destabilize the Pakistani government even more.
Pakistan will continue to help us, but not if the press and our Congress blab about everything.
The press should be a little more sensitive to the situation in Pakistan and understand that their reporting will have a severe impact on the government there. Do we really want a Taliban government in Islamabad? We don't, but the way that the press has been acting, they might.
For instance, when it was decided in the 1980s that the U.S. was going to supply Afghan freedom fighters with anti-aircraft missiles and other heavy weapons to shoot down Soviet Hind gunships and hurt the Red Army, a deal was struck between Israel, the U.S. and Pakistan, which insisted upon secrecy out of fear of offending not only the Soviets, but also the Muslim world by working with the Israelis.
In the early days of the campaign, the Israelis would help provide Soviet-built or inspired weapons, and would transfer them to Pakistan, who would be in charge of getting the weapons to the mujaheddin who were killing Soviet soldiers.
That story was not publicly known until well after the Soviet Red Army withdrew from Afghanistan.
The Soviets were aware of Pakistan's involvement in the Soviet-Afghan War later on; they took enough prisoners during the war to confirm that the Pakistanis were arming the Afghan rebels; the KGB and their Afghan allies struck at a munitions depot outside of Islamabad in 1988, and carried out more than one hundred attacks on targets inside of Pakistan throughout the duration of the war.
Fast forward to earlier this week. The British news story that showed American aircraft at a Pakistani base in 2006 hasn't helped the Pakistani government. They're surrendering territory to the Taliban even now, and this story will only destabilize the Pakistani government even more.
Pakistan will continue to help us, but not if the press and our Congress blab about everything.
The press should be a little more sensitive to the situation in Pakistan and understand that their reporting will have a severe impact on the government there. Do we really want a Taliban government in Islamabad? We don't, but the way that the press has been acting, they might.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Pakistan Knuckles Under to Taliban: If Pakistan Continues Down This Road, They Should Turn Their Nuclear Weapons Program Over to International Control
Pakistan agreed to impose Islamic law on a section of their country that is under the control of the Taliban, in a very troubling move that is a portent of things to come.
It's widely agreed that Pakistan's government has marginal control of their country and are facing a resurgent Taliban threat. And Pakistan is also nuclear-armed. Pakistan must not allow the possibility of their nuclear weapons ending up under Taliban control.
I think they should consider asking the Americans or Russians or some international agency to come in and remove their nuclear weapons if there is even a remote possibility of the entire country falling to the Taliban. They CANNOT be trusted with nuclear weapons.
It's one thing for an elected government to control it's nuclear arms and technology, but if that government is overthrown by a terrorist force such as the Taliban, the threat couldn't be clearer. It's also clear that if the Taliban do take over Pakistan, we'll be at war with that country next.
I hope that various governments are coming up with a plan to deal with this frightening possibility of a Taliban take-over and will take multi-lateral action to seize Pakistan's nuclear arms and technology if it looks like the country will fall into Taliban hands.
What other choice is there?
It's widely agreed that Pakistan's government has marginal control of their country and are facing a resurgent Taliban threat. And Pakistan is also nuclear-armed. Pakistan must not allow the possibility of their nuclear weapons ending up under Taliban control.
I think they should consider asking the Americans or Russians or some international agency to come in and remove their nuclear weapons if there is even a remote possibility of the entire country falling to the Taliban. They CANNOT be trusted with nuclear weapons.
It's one thing for an elected government to control it's nuclear arms and technology, but if that government is overthrown by a terrorist force such as the Taliban, the threat couldn't be clearer. It's also clear that if the Taliban do take over Pakistan, we'll be at war with that country next.
I hope that various governments are coming up with a plan to deal with this frightening possibility of a Taliban take-over and will take multi-lateral action to seize Pakistan's nuclear arms and technology if it looks like the country will fall into Taliban hands.
What other choice is there?
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