Blast from the past (Taliban)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Analysis
Daily Times
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Public opinion has turned against the Taliban both in the insurgency-hit areas and in rest of the country. Another positive sign is that the major political parties are on the same page
What is happening in the borderlands of Pakistan is blowback from the policies that we pursued in the second wave of the Cold War as an American ally and a front-line state against the former Soviet Union. According to American strategic thinking at that time, communists were the greatest enemies of humanity and a primary threat to the stability of the global system.
Islamists from all over the world were encouraged, trained, financed and supported in the war against the Soviets. The United States and Pakistan gave no serious consideration to the long-term consequences of supporting an Islamist insurgency and effects of the militarisation and empowerment of the multi-national Muslim groups that came to dominate the Afghan jihad.
The history of this conflict cannot be forgotten. We continue to deal with its repercussions in FATA and other areas of Pakistan and around the world. And it is for this reason that quite a few leaders and commentators in Pakistan questioned our support to the US-led war on terror. These questions were not about the morality or legality of the required actions, but how dangerous and difficult it would be to comply with an unending list of unreasonable American demands.
Read more
Daily Times
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Public opinion has turned against the Taliban both in the insurgency-hit areas and in rest of the country. Another positive sign is that the major political parties are on the same page
What is happening in the borderlands of Pakistan is blowback from the policies that we pursued in the second wave of the Cold War as an American ally and a front-line state against the former Soviet Union. According to American strategic thinking at that time, communists were the greatest enemies of humanity and a primary threat to the stability of the global system.
Islamists from all over the world were encouraged, trained, financed and supported in the war against the Soviets. The United States and Pakistan gave no serious consideration to the long-term consequences of supporting an Islamist insurgency and effects of the militarisation and empowerment of the multi-national Muslim groups that came to dominate the Afghan jihad.
The history of this conflict cannot be forgotten. We continue to deal with its repercussions in FATA and other areas of Pakistan and around the world. And it is for this reason that quite a few leaders and commentators in Pakistan questioned our support to the US-led war on terror. These questions were not about the morality or legality of the required actions, but how dangerous and difficult it would be to comply with an unending list of unreasonable American demands.
Read more
Labels: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Soviets, Taliban, Terrorism, US
posted @ 11:47 AM,
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