European Tribune - Comments - European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch

European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 2 November | 98 comments (98 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

If Pakistan has finally gotten serious about eliminating the Taliban, as seems to be the case, it will get very, very ugly. Little wonder aid providers and journalists are banned from the area.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sun Nov 1st, 2009 at 05:15:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: World - 2 November (none / 0)

I wonder if "getting serious" will be any more effective for them on the long run than for the Americans over the border, or for the Soviets before them.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Nov 1st, 2009 at 05:43:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: World - 2 November (4.00 / 3)

Well, to put this finely, the tactical scope available to the Pakistanis is much larger. That's the 'very, very ugly' part. This will be more like a full civil war than a few minor pacification campaigns.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sun Nov 1st, 2009 at 05:51:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: World - 2 November (none / 0)

May be, but I have my doubts that they are much better at identifying the guerillas who melt back into the population in that area. In addition, the Waziristan Taliban probably has much better intel from within the Pakistani army than the Afghan arm on the movements of the Americans (and the Mujaheddin on the Soviets before them).

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 at 04:46:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: World - 2 November (none / 1)

Certainly the logistic situation is dead simple - relatively short distances, virtually all of which can be covered by road/off-road vehicles.

More importantly, Pakistan's vital interests are at stake here. I think this is going to get really ugly.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 at 05:18:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]

European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch - 2 November | 98 comments (98 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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