Mastication.
Bill Roggio at The Fourth Rail posts a very thoughtful blog on the state of Pakistan
This is the problem in dealing with many of these nations. They are not wholeheartedly in support of the GWOT in part because they are maneuvering to advance their own positions, in part because their personal skin is on the line (Musharaff in Pakistan has survived multiple assassination attempts) and in part because the populations they lead do not allow it.
In the end it comes down to
The question then becomes how far do we go in applying bite to Musharraf?
Pakistan's reluctance to deal with the Lashkar-e-Taiba can be directly related to Kashmir. Support for Kashmiri independence from India has widespread support within Pakistan among Islamists and secularists alike, and the LeT is viewed as a valid resistance to India's presence. The links to al Qaeda are ignored for the greater good of 'freedom' for Kashmir. Dan Darling neatly sums up the problems faced by Musharraf when dealing with domestic terrorists.
Source: The Fourth Rail - LeT It BeThis is the problem in dealing with many of these nations. They are not wholeheartedly in support of the GWOT in part because they are maneuvering to advance their own positions, in part because their personal skin is on the line (Musharaff in Pakistan has survived multiple assassination attempts) and in part because the populations they lead do not allow it.
In the end it comes down to
Musharraf is in an unenviable position. Cracking down on the domestic terrorists is fraught with political risk and very real personal hazards. Allowing groups like the LeT to continue operations will eventually lead to terrorist attacks being linked back to Pakistan.
Musharraf has moved in the right direction by killing and capturing members of 'external' al Qaeda, attempting to restore order in the tribal areas and corralling the extremist madrassa. The glances eastward from Britain and Egypt show the problem with groups such as the LeT cannot be ignored indefinitely. When the time comes, Musharraf will have to decide which bite is worse.
Source: The Fourth Rail - LeT It BeMusharraf has moved in the right direction by killing and capturing members of 'external' al Qaeda, attempting to restore order in the tribal areas and corralling the extremist madrassa. The glances eastward from Britain and Egypt show the problem with groups such as the LeT cannot be ignored indefinitely. When the time comes, Musharraf will have to decide which bite is worse.
The question then becomes how far do we go in applying bite to Musharraf?
posted by Marcus Aurelius at 8:14 AM
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