Pakistan: Now or Never?
Perspectives on Pakistan
India launches Israeli-made satellite for eyes in the sky
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India launched an Israeli-made spy satellite on Monday that will help it keep a close eye on its borders stretching from Pakistan in the west to China in the north and east.
The launch is significant for several reasons. First off, the all-weather advanced satellite that the Israelis themselves use for surveillance on nations such as Iran is an eye in the sky that Indian security planners have been demanding for long. India has its own sophisticated satellite imaging programme that gives pretty high resolution pictures, but, as a defence scientist once told me, they tended to go a bit blind in bad weather, especially during the monsoon.
The Israeli satellite is supposed to be an all-seeing all-weather platform that at a height of 550 kms lets you see things like a motorbike on the street. New Delhi apparently asked the Israelis to speed up the satellite after the Mumbai attacks in November when gunmen arrived on the shores of the country’s financial capital in boats.
The idea obviously would be to watch the borders, both land and sea on the west. But satellites such as these can also tell you about troop movements. Logically any big movement on the border with China would fall under its footprint.
Secondly, the launch underscores the tightening defence links between India and Israel, which, in the space of 17 years when India gave diplomatic recognition to Israel, stand transformed. Israel is India’s second biggest defence supplier, behind Russia which had long enjoyed a virtual monopoly.
For Israel, India is the biggest arms market.
Israel is also giving India the Phalcon Airborne Warning and Control System, a force multiplier seen as so strategic that the Americans leaned on Tel Aviv to abort a similar deal with China.
It is not just a one-way street. Last January, the Israelis wanted to launch their military satellite like the one that went up on Monday. They chose the Indians to launch it, in a show of confidence in the Indian rocket. More significantly reports at the time said the Israeli satellite was meant for reconnaissance over Iran, causing irritation in Tehran which has had long standing ties with New Delhi.
But the ground has been shifting since the mid 1990s, especially after India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took power and reached out to Israel, seeking its expertise in a range of areas especially high-tech capabilities to fight militants.
For years India, home to one of the world’s biggest Muslim populations, had shunned any public dealings with Israel, and stood firmly behind the Arab bloc in its long running dispute with the Jewish state. But the BJP said India and Israel were natural allies and set about making up for the lost decades.
The Congress, which had traditionally followed a pro-Arab posture, continued the policy of deepening engagement with Israel when it took power five years ago and indeed has fast-tracked arms supplies from that country to meet the security challenges.
There also seems to be a great deal of public support for closer ties with Israel. A poll said to have been ordered by the Israeli Foreign Ministry found that Israel enjoyed the greatest support in India, ahead of the United States, Russians and Mexicans
[India launches Israeli-made satellite on Monday and file picture of protest in Kashmir against Israeli strikes in Gaza]
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Hassan writes: “it would be a wonderous thing to really see both countries combine its intellectual potential. not only would it be beneficial for them but for the world.”
In an ideal world, we all could be sitting together and enjoying a beautiful sunset. It is not my actions that have led to the partition of the sub-continent, or the cold war or the current situation. I am in this world that is in conflict with itself. I need to see where I stand and understand what I should do. Please tell your Pakistani brothers that they could have had it all and become a highly developed nation like Japan. Instead their leaders wasted it all away. And now only their enmity with India stands. I will react if someone is pointing a gun at me or looks at me with vengeance. So does a nation. Please direct your advice to your Pakistani brothers that you left behind. We are progressing against the odds. Please allow us to do so. Then you will not see any of here justifying our stance.
Hassan, your bias towards your fellow Pakistanis is quite transparent & understandable. As mine, being Indian American, also probably is, towards my fellow Indians. You won’t prove anything with personal attacks on Mauryan or anyone else. The fact of the matter is, that since the Mumbai attacks, something has changed in the collective psyche of all Indians & we unanimously say that WE’VE HAD ENOUGH! We will no longer tolerate the massacring of our civilians by ‘Non-State Actors’ from Pakistan. You seem like an educated & tolerant Pakistani & it’s up to people like you, to convince your fellow Pakistanis to change this anti-India ideology, which has been ingrained in their minds for decades. We, Indians, want peace but we will no longer take Pakistan’s proxy war in India, sitting down.
mortal, as mentioned before several times. I am not pakitani. one of my parents is india and the other pakistani so there is no “bias” on my end as you claim.even though both my parents are muslims, my indian parent does not favor pakistan at all. even though some in your country may not classify the muslims of india as “real indians” there is alot of loyalty for india.I think you are diliberartely ignorning my comments against pakistan.sure the mumbai attacks were bad, but let’s not even try and compare it to how we felt when 9/11 happened to us here in america. so you don’t think pakistanis have been victicms of attacks and bombings?? they have been attacked and killed even more so then india has.my comments about the BJP and their violent attacks on their countrymen have been ignored over and over again. did u forget the attacks were nearly 2000 muslims were killed but parties linked to the BJP, with the assitance of the police?? and the countless attacks on churches and sikh temples?their are elements in india as well that are extreme in nature and have blood on their hands.look at our response to the 9/11 attacks? where has that gotten us? invasion of 2 muslim countries with hundered and thousands are dead. 1 country which had nothing to do with 9/11.if you honestly think this is a one sided issue, then you are greatly mistaken, although the pakitani side has many more of the blame to share
I’m so glad that India is on the right track when it comes to Israel. Both countries have faced and are still facing atrocities. India should continue to have ties with Israel on all grounds and stand up for Israel no matter what. I firmly believe that if we stand united with Israel, any weapon formed against our India will not prosper.
Mortal wrote:
“I’m not an insecure citizen of a ‘Failed State’, who has to prove the merits of his country to everyone.”
Ok, so this is a personal attack on me, my sense of security originates from the termendous confidence I have in my country which despite showing persistently failing symptoms have always managed to come back from the brink. We as Pakistanis and our country Pakistan as a whole has a great potential. All we had been lacking in the past was a strong committment. But every crisis brings itself an opportunity for introspection and self correction. I would love to correct our mistakes and look forward to a bright future. Now you dont get too upset and relax.
As far as morals are concerned, you Indians have a lot more to prove to the world. Do you know even the British Foreign Secretary told your leaders under their noses in New Delhi to sort out the mess in Kashmir otherwise expect more Mumbai style attacks?
Mortal
We Pakistanis also have had enough of it. You may be an American Indian, but you seem to be too much overcome with the jingoistic Indian media frenzy and its smear campaign against Pakistan. Your lecture to Hassan does not make any sense and is useless since you yourself are blindly following other uninformed people. Dont try to provoke anyone by your rhetoric, no one is going to get scared.
We also want peace, but with honour and dignity. Not the way you are trying to sound.
Umair – “Mortal We Pakistanis also have had enough of it. You may be an American Indian, but you seem to be too much overcome with the jingoistic Indian media frenzy and its smear campaign against Pakistan. Your lecture to Hassan does not make any sense and is useless since you yourself are blindly following other uninformed people. Dont try to provoke anyone by your rhetoric, no one is going to get scared. We also want peace, but with honour and dignity. Not the way you are trying to sound”
Umair, may I ask, what have you Pakistanis had enough of? May I ask, How many of your civilians have been killed by Indian terrorists? (And please don’t give me base-less references. If you have proof, provide it)
I don’t follow the Indian media as I feel that it tends to exaggerate & sensationalize, news. I follow the American & other global media. In case you haven’t noticed it, it’s not just India or Indians, who are pointing fingers at Pakistan. It’s pretty much the whole world, who now considers Pakistan as a Terror sponsoring Rogue nation. There’s an article almost everyday in the New York Times or the Washington Post or the Guardian or other reputed global media, about the two-faced nature of the Pakistani army & the ISI and about how Pakistan is the biggest threat to the world. Maybe, you ought to check those sometime, instead of burying your head in Indo-centric Pakistani newspapers or articles.
You wanna live with peace & dignity, that’s fine with us. We don’t care weather you are ruled by a democracy, dictatorship or Taliban. That’s none of our business & we wouldn’t care less about it. Just don’t send any of your ‘Non-State Actors’ to our country, to kill our civilians cuz’ as I said before WE’VE HAD ENOUGH!
Mortal
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/04/21 /obama-torture-memos042109.html
Obama wont rule out charges over CIA interrogations
Time to go after the most dangerous terrorists, warmongers and war crimminals like Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice, Pearle, Tenant …. they should all be prosecuted. Before Pakistan Army and ISI are labelled with anything, lets see who are the real criminals.
Umair, you are right! Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld etc. should be tried & put behind bars. More than anything else, for duping the American people into invading the wrong country. Most Americans are waking up to the realization, as is the Obama Administration, that the terror-sponsoring country with weapons of mass-destruction, that should have been attacked in the first place, shouldn’t have been Iraq but rather, Pakistan.
A business risk analyst once told me that there is a simple test to determine if a country Ws worth investing in. Google the name of the country. what pops up on the page and in Google news gives you all the impression you need. By this test Pakistan is in serious trouble. With foreign investment fleeing Pakistan, I can’t see how they will maintain conventional parity with India.
The old argument that nuclear weapons are sufficient is ridiculous. Look at the arsenal the USSR had. That didn’t keep them from disintegrating. If any future Indian administration decides to follow Reagan style strategies and spark an arms race on the subcontinent, Pakistan could end up in serious trouble.
Pakistan wants free money without any conditions or benchmarks:
“So we have said, we will provide and would like to provide 1.5 billion dollars over a five-year period to Pakistan,” he said.
“Clearly, we are going to establish benchmarks. We want to see certain standards and goals met,” Wood said.
But Pakistan showed no sign of complying with US demands.
Pakistan’s prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said in a statement: “The US should not attach conditionalities to the assistance.”
“Aid with strings attached would fail to generate the desired goodwill and results, ” he added.
However oftenWashington flexes its muscles against Pakistan, Pakistan knows that by the second week of May, a record numbers of Taliban attacks will convince the US that it has exhausted many of its options in the South Asian “war on terror”.
I don’t know what the Fxxk is wrong with Pakistan. They want double standards, want to kill innocent Hindus and want free american money with no standards and drag their feet chasing the Taliban. Go Fxxk yourself and be prepared to be decimated, smashed and occupied by the western powers.
Damn punjabi idiotic fools.
Mortal
After getting knee deep into recession and making desperate attempts to salvage capitalism, after the Iraq and Afghanistan fiasco, talk to Obama about Pakistan and it will send shivers down his spine.
No one should ever make the mistake of attacking Pakistan, we have the power to retaliate. We will not be cake walk like Iraq or Afghanistan.
Would the US really need to attack Pakistan? A scaling back of US aid and a veto at the IMF would probably cower Pakistan. And if Pakistan keeps testing Obama’s patience there will be consequences. Obama has decided that he now ‘owns’ the war in Afghanistan any loss will be blamed directly on Obama. Given the editorials about Pakistan appearing in the New York Times or Washington Post, a defeat in Afghanistan or even a lack of progress will be seen by the American (and increasingly Canadian, British, Australian, etc.) public as a loss caused by Pakistan. It will not be seen as an American defeat in so much as a Pakistani effort to counter American interests.
Pakistani should pray that the US succeeds in Afghanistan. If it doesn’t, that will be the end of Pakistan. Are Pakistani prepared to make an enemy of their largest donor and ally?
Lol on “Talk to Obama about Pakistan and it will send shivers down his spine.”
“No one should ever make the mistake of attacking Pakistan, we have the power to retaliate. We will not be cake walk like Iraq or Afghanistan.”
Yeah Yeah Pakistan has nukes
Umair – “Mortal After getting knee deep into recession and making desperate attempts to salvage capitalism, after the Iraq and Afghanistan fiasco, talk to Obama about Pakistan and it will send shivers down his spine.
No one should ever make the mistake of attacking Pakistan, we have the power to retaliate. We will not be cake walk like Iraq or Afghanistan”
Umair, if you think that a recession will prevent Obama from attacking Pakistan, in order to protect American interests, you are sadly mistaken. Recessions are cyclical, here in the US & they do not disturb America’s defense policies. In fact most neo-cons believe that War is the best way to get a country out of a recessionary period. And moreover, this recession isn’t all that it’s been made out to be. By most economic estimates, a recovery will begin by late 2009/early 2010.
There is a growing consensus, here in the US, that Pakistan is becoming much more dangerous than a Pre-9/11 Afghanistan & the one thing that Obama & the Democrats absolutely don’t want on their watch, is an attack on American soil. In order to prevent that, Obama would most certainly attack Pakistan, if he has to, in order to protect America.
Yes, you are right, Pakistan isn’t Iraq or Afghanistan and would offer a stiffer resistance than those 2. So, while it took 2 & 3 weeks to invade Afghanistan & Iraq, respectively, it might take 4 or 5 weeks to invade Pakistan.
A recession also means that Pakistan will be worse off (with regards to economic growth) than the US. Who has the recession hurt more: Pakistan or the US? The US has not needed an IMF bailout.
The recession also means that the economic disparity between Pakistan and India will grow wider further ensuring that Pakistan will not have the means with which to keep up with India.
A key capability of this satellite will be coherent change detection (CCD).
This means India will now have the ability to detect changes over time. For example, this means that one could compare foilage densities for example and find the locations of camouflaged sites. Or by overlaying two pics of a road or desert, you could find tire tracks leading to a vehicle, etc. The technology could also be use to find infiltration paths into a given area by comparing before and after shots to detect the changes.
This is a significant capability for imagery intelligence analysts. It would be interesting to know which agency in India will be responsible for doing such analysis.
I also wonder what the Pakistani response will be. Are they going to attempt to field similar technology. It\’s quite expensive and an extremely advanced and difficult capability to maintain.
http://fas.org/irp/program/core/Old_TENC AP_Brief/tsld024.htm
Some good examples, for anybody wondering what these capabilities will mean:
http://defense-update.com/features/du-2- 05/sensor-5.htm
Hassan pulls from the air: “the countless attacks on churches and sikh temples?”
Countless? That is a huge number. In the US in general people do not pull things from the air. They provide facts or remain ignorant. So I am going to ask you to provide a concrete reference for the number of churches and Sikh temples destroyed in India by the BJP. I am particularly interested in the numbers. I know some churches got attacked and Punjab burned in the 1980s during Khalistan movement. I also know that in 1984, after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, many innocent Sikhs got slaughtered by goons organized by politicians. But they were not BJP politicians.
So I expect you to show some credibility in your statement. The reason why I am asking this number specifically is because statements like the ones you make tend to project the wrong image in the minds of the wrong people who do not have direct view of the situation and they can emotionally react and build up hatred. I suppose you are educated. Let us see if you can substantiate your statement. Or withdraw it on this forum for everyone to see.
BTW, I am not fond of the BJP or their supporters. I support parties based on political situations and issues on hand, just like most Indian voters.
Let us see if you provide the numbers.
Keith writes: “Pakistani should pray that the US succeeds in Afghanistan. If it doesn’t, that will be the end of Pakistan. Are Pakistani prepared to make an enemy of their largest donor and ally?”
US went to Pakistan’s help to drive Taliban out of Afghanistan. Taliban moved into Pakistan. US is stuck in Afghanistan now because Taliban has been given enough time to grow and strengthen its base. And it has figured out that if it can take over Pakistan, it gets a huge army and the nukes. Then it can walk into Afghanistan and take it over. Now the two countries merge into one huge Islamic Caliphate. So the US will be looking for solutions. Their economic crisis demands that they finish the job quick and get out of the region. But it won’t be easy. They now realize that they have been duped by Pakistan all these years. Obama is an intelligent man and he cannot be fooled the way that idiot Bush was. He figured out what is going on very quickly. So he is going to after Pakistan soon. Without setting Pakistan right, there is no way Afghanistan will get out of the stretcher. So Taliban is in a major hurry to take over Pakistan before the Americans act.
So the US is going to come to India for the next logistical support. India has two options. It can decide to stay out of it altogether and let the Americans operate from Central Asia. Or a deal can be made where the US gets to use Indian bases and logistical support and in return for it, The US promises to clear the nukes out of Taliban’s hands and from Pakistan altogether. Pakistan under Taliban will react and will face the wrath of the US. A One time ally will go down like Iraq. Now two nations will have to be built.
It would be good at that time to make a Marshall plan for this volatile region – Split up Afghanistan and Pakistan region into small nations based on ethnic lines, with resources allocated. Manage the area for a long time. Radical Islam will find it very difficult to spread over the barriers set up this way. The core problem of the whole thing is radical Islam and it is beginning to hold the region and the world hostage. There are lot of good people in these regions. But they are at the mercy of these radicals. They will surely welcome an international effort to change this place for good. The time for that has come.
Liar writes: “No one should ever make the mistake of attacking Pakistan, we have the power to retaliate. We will not be cake walk like Iraq or Afghanistan.”
No one cares much about Pakistan’s military and its capabilities. There is no proof on record to show what they have accomplished in any war. It won’t be a cake walk like Afghanistan. For Pakistan it will be a red carpet walk. Your military will split into three first – one that surrenders to the Taliban and one that surrenders to the US. One which is confused.
Your nukes are in safe hands. No one knows which button to push. Instructions are partly in Chinese. And spare parts are still coming from China.
Keith writes: “The recession also means that the economic disparity between Pakistan and India will grow wider further ensuring that Pakistan will not have the means with which to keep up with India.”
Pakistan should aim high – It should compare itself with the US. Already some lunatics are laughing at the US recession while their begging bowls are empty.
Why this comparison with India and Pakistan? I think somehow everywhere people do this comparison without any awareness. India and Pakistan do not compare in any way. It is just that the two got independence on the same year from the same colonial power. After that the two have gone in their own ways. Somehow, from a distance, people have assumed that these two countries are “rivals!” Would someone compare China to Burma? It makes no sense. I feel really insulted when my country gets compared with Pakistan. Comparison with China would be better. This mentality is the reason for Pakistan to arm itself to the teeth and choking at the end of it. I do not understand why Pakistan should match itself with India on everything. Just like everyone has begun to realize that India is not Pakistan’s enemy, they should also realize that India is not to be compared with Pakistan. A fair comparison would be a country like Iran or Bangladesh – Islamic nations, similar in size, population etc.
I have just read this article from the UK newspaper The Guardian, 18/04/2009:
“Islamabad in frontline of Pakistan struggle with Islamic militants”
It sounds too sensationalist from these quotes:
-Fortifications are springing up across Islamabad as foreigners retreat from public view…
-Streets have been sealed, five-star hotels are fortified like army bases and a heavily protected area around parliament is known as the “red zone”.
-School owners said they were installing closed circuit television and hiring armed guards, but admitted the precautions were insufficient to stop a suicide bomber.
-the closure of a main road outside the anonymous-looking headquarters of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) this week was a measure of the seriousness of the threat.
IS THIS FOR REAL?
Global Watcher
—Pleazzzzz add Pakistani in front of punjabi…
Pakistan to be Split by the politicians & the army-
“A plan to set up the so-called ëTrust Fundí was drawn up for provision of “special aid” to the provinces of Balochistan and the NWFP with huge amount of international assistance separately meant to disconnect them from the rest of the country. The idea was reportedly widely accepted by senior officials in Pakistan and even some high-ups in Islamabad considered it a ìlucrativeî and ìharmless propositionî.”
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.a sp?id=173737
Mauryan,
I think most people in the west recognize that Pakistan and India are not in the same league. Indeed, Indian food and culture has really come into vogue in the west in the last few years, similar to how ubiquitous elements of Chinese culture have become. When the Queen has curry for dinner, you know that India has really started to gain influence.
When it comes to comparisons with Pakistan some are apt though. Defence capability is largely proportional to how much one can afford (dictated by the size of the economy). As long as Pakistan perceives its need to maintain parity with India the comparison are apt. Of course, that does not mean the reverse is true. India should not feel threatened by such comparisons because the rest of the world knows that the two are not in the same league.
Anup,
Pakistan to be Split by the politicians & the army…this will not happen.
I have to admit the number of opitons left for Pakistan are running out faster than Obama’s patience. Though it is not just the USA’s patience that is going to run out:
China Leans on Pakistan to Deal With Militants (Time, 10/04/2009)
The all-weather friendship is all weathered out.
Daily Times, Pakistan –
* TTP says Osama welcome in Swat
* Muslim Khan wants Taliban model of sharia in Pakistan, ‘even in America’
* Says those who disagree with Taliban are non-Muslims
Guys, things are really heating up in Pakistan. I think, the Taliban takeover of Pakistan, might be just a couple of months away, if not weeks. I feel sorry for the liberal & moderate Pakistanis, who’ll be butchered for their beliefs. The stage is being set for a bloody battle.
Mortal writes: “things are really heating up in Pakistan. I think, the Taliban takeover of Pakistan, might be just a couple of months away, if not weeks. I feel sorry for the liberal & moderate Pakistanis, who’ll be butchered for their beliefs. The stage is being set for a bloody battle.”
India should double up its security as the Pakistani establishment might make one last ditch attempt to create a large scale war by drawing India. Elections are going on and this is the time where maximum chaos can be created. Before they bend over for the Taliban, the Pakistani military, ISI and “democratic” government might work together to stage an attack inside India. This will cause confusion and if India decides to retaliate, all Mullahs will fall behind Pakistan. They must be wishing for India’s downfall as well, now that their own downfall is imminent. They will not like to see an India that is doing well when they are burning due to internal fire. There is a principle that Pakistanis believe in – “It is all right if I lose both my eyes, but the other guy should lose at least one of his eyes.” So India should be very careful and be prepared to do the right thing. This is the next thing that can be expected before Islamabad falls to Taliban. If India manages to deflect off the attack, then Pakistan will have no option but to face the monster it helped create. The RISAT has been launched just in time.
Why does this post come in ‘Pakistan:Now or Never’? Perhaps is it because Pakistan turned Israel from being India’s foe to a friend?
Had Pakistan not stuck to ‘Muslim solidarity’ line they could have had Israel as a friend. Both countries have similar strategic environments: Larger neighbours, numerically superior enemies, strategically poor geographies, good relations with the US, etc. Instead, they drove the Israelis into the arms of the Indians. And that relationship is reaching unprecedented heights. The only other country with whom the Israelis have such a well developed military relationship is the United States.
Mauryan, I agree, it can’t be emphasized enough that India needs to be extremely vigilant. Not only on the borders but internally as well. The next month or so could be crucial, as the Pakistani establishment, in one last desperate attempt, to unite their country, might attempt terror strikes in India. The Indian security forces can’t afford to be caught napping, like they were in Kargil. Hopefully, they are ready.
As an American, I am appalled to see my country engaged in activities that bring shame to my country, our constitution and values. The Bush and Dick combination has destroyed our credibility in the world. Here are things that we should have done after defeating the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and getting rid off the Soviet empire.
1. Stayed in Afghanistan and made a Marshall plan for that country to come back to normal. If the efforts were made in 1989, in twenty years, Afghanistan would have reached a stage of maturity that is expected of nations. We would have had friendly governments in Central Asia and could have gone through legal business means to buy oil and natural gas from Central Asia.
2. We could have helped Pakistan become a stronger democracy by curtailing militancy, radicalization of their religion by using coercive methods. If we had started this effort in 1989, by now Pakistan would have reached a very enviable position and respect in the world. We could have helped build institutions and foundations instead of dumping weapons on them.
3. We could have helped both India and Pakistan economically and made them inter-dependent on trade and business activities to such an extent that they will think before they act emotionally. No one wants to lose money and business. Not only India, but also Pakistan could have become an IT powerhouse in a short time. I have no doubt that this young nation has excellent people with the potential to be professionals in anything.
4. We could have helped the region become a nuclear free zone. We could have helped in agriculture and other technologies that would have laid the foundation of stable economy in the whole region.
Instead our politicians and the CIA wanted quick returns and stayed ignorant of the rest of the world and the sentiments of the people. I apologize to all of you as an American – Indians, Pakistanis and Afghanis for what the republican governments have done in your region. And on top of that they have messed Iraq up completely. I feel really ashamed. I lost my sibling in Iraq for the political agenda of an ignorant man.
You all deserve to live a good life. I feel sad looking at these blogs where people are fighting each other constantly, becoming mere puppets at the hands of a few with power on their hands. I pray to the Lord that your precious lives be saved and channeled in the right direction. I am hoping that our new President at least does the right thing. It is not too late. I request you people to understand each other, rather than distance yourselves more. You all deserve good life.
God bless,
Keith, if one looked at the history of Pakistan, one can learn many valuable lessons, as to what not to do as a nation. Pakistan, with it’s strategic location, natural resources & large population, had a chance of becoming a global player of paramount importance. The biggest tragedy with Pakistan is that it never had the right leadership, which could steer that country in the right direction. Instead of focusing on education & economic development of it’s people, it’s leaders kept the country distracted, while fighting proxy wars in India & Afghanistan and filling their own personal coffers, in the process. As a result, today you see a radicalized & unstable country, with literacy rate in the single digits (by most estimates) & which is currently on the precipice of bankruptcy, failure & utter chaos.
Pk, keith
Neither there is an ayatollah khominei nor a Shaw in the contemporary Pakistan … I agree Pak is no Iran. For obvious reasons copycat revolution will not repeat in Pakistan as that had happened in late 70s in Iran.
PK, you wondered why spy satellite article was posted under Pak specific blog. The same article was also posted in India specific blog- India: A Billion aspirations. It appears, some of the relevant articles are posted in both the groups simultaneously.
Zia-ul-Haq eloquently commented – we can not push 3 million Israelis into ocean- and made Israelis happy and annoyed arabs at that time. The WMDs makes everyone nervous now, as the Taliban is inching closer to the arsenal by the day.
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArtic le08.asp?xfile=data/international/2009/A pril/international_April1773.xml§ion =international
Pakistan accuses India, Afghans, of Baluch meddling
US has no ‘real strategy’ for Pakistan
WASHINGTON: US Senator John Kerry, who returned from a visit to Islamabad earlier this week, has said that the Obama administration does not seem to have ‘a real strategy’ for Pakistan.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn -content-library/dawn/news/world/us-has- no-real-strategy-for-pakistan–bi
Pakistan accuses India, Afghans, of Baluch meddling
- Posted by Umair
Oh, that’s a real shocker!
US has no ‘real strategy’ for Pakistan
WASHINGTON: US Senator John Kerry, who returned from a visit to Islamabad earlier this week, has said that the Obama administration does not seem to have ‘a real strategy’ for Pakistan.
- Posted by Umair
Kerry is correct. The strategy of cajoling the Pakistani army into fighting the Taliban has miserably failed. The only strategy now, is to wait & let the Taliban take over Pakistan. This will also buy the time, needed to re-deploy the troops, which are presently stationed in Iraq.
Pakistan has no moral fabric nor core and is trying to destablize both Afghan and India and currently extorting money from the U.S. and has blatantly refused to help the U.S. kill the Taliban, despite wanting free money. Pakistan has lost the moral right to statehood existence.
Let its disintegration begin.
Let its disintegration begin.
- Posted by Global Watcher
First Talibanization…then Invasion…and then Disintegration…in that order!
First Talibanization…then Invasion…and then Disintegration…in that order!
Where do you see ‘Pakistani nuclear retaliation’?
Guys Pakistan is a nuclear power. FYI
Thanks to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and his dedicated team of scientists who put together nuclear weapons by literally gathering every nut and bolt from every corner of the world. It was worth it, a great nation like Pakistan deserved to be a nuclear power.
Umair,
Please demonstrate how nuclear weapons prevented the USSR from disintegrating.
I would not want to see Pakistan fall apart because of the problems that would create but you should not discount the possibility.
The other day I had a chance to chat with Dr. Stephen Cohen and he readily admitted that the world might potentially be better off with a Pakistan that’s in several pieces. The only thing keeping that from happening is the concern the world has in the process that leads to that conclusion. If the US thought that Pakistan falling apart wasn’t a problem the aid money would dry up pretty quick. How long do you think the Sindhis would stick around if the Pak government didn’t have the resources to govern there or the Army didn’t have the resources to enforce the central government’s writ? If Pakistan fails, it won’t be because the US or India or anybody else did something. It’ll be because of the moral cowardice of the green suits in Rawalpindi.
First Talibanization…then Invasion…and then Disintegration…in that order!
- Posted by Mortal
We don’t need to talk about an invasion. Nobody is going to do that. The likely outcome is that there will be a scramble for the nukes if the Taliban reach Islamabad. And realistically, were that to happen, most of the Pak generals would co-operate. They’d probably readily trade the coordinates of the nukes for visas to the UK or the US. They sure as hell would not want to live in a 100% talibanized Pakistan.
I doubt anyone would care what happens once the outsiders have captured, bribed, bought on the black market, etc. all the nukes in the country. There’s really no risk of an invasion.
Keith
There is no denying that Pakistan faces grave internal challenges at the moment. The USSR was an expansionist regime and ventured into destructive pursuits.
Let me tell you honestly, there are many serious questions, you cannot just simply make Pakistan an escapegoat for US policy failures in Afghanistan. Had US made the appropriate policy changes after the Soviest withdrew from Af in 1989, many of today’s problems would have been minimized. We were allies during cold war and the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, what took place after that caused a great sense of betrayal in Pakistan.
I admit, we might have also committed our shares of mistakes. But does the US also recognizes Pakistan’s regional interests, is the US willing to take them into consideration.
I think once lines have been drawn, and once Pakistan defines its interests in clear terms and says ‘hey, look this is it’. This is the way forward, where do you stand? can we work together or are we on a collision course?
Keith
“And realistically, were that to happen, most of the Pak generals would co-operate. They’d probably readily trade the coordinates of the nukes for visas to the UK or the US. They sure as hell would not want to live in a 100% talibanized Pakistan.”
Pakistan Army is a nationalistic Army like the Turkish Army. You never expect the Pakistan Army to do what you are suggesting.
I know a 3000 strong US Marines task Force remains standby in Afghanistan to take out Pak nukes if need arises. But considering the well guarded unknown storage sites and dummy nukes to decieve any such plans. It is very unlikely Pakistani nukes can be gained control of.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn -content-library/dawn/news/world/pakista n-is-abdicating-to-the-taliban-clinton–b i
“Pakistan giving up to militants: Hillary”
“In a testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Mrs Clinton warned that nuclear-armed Pakistan was becoming a ‘mortal threat’ to the world”
“And I want to take this occasion … to state unequivocally that not only do the Pakistani government officials, but the Pakistani people and the Pakistani diaspora … need to speak out forcefully against a policy that is ceding more and more territory to the insurgents”
‘I don’t hear that kind of outrage or concern coming from enough people that would reverberate back within the highest echelons of the civilian and military leadership of Pakistan,’ she said
“Another US general, David Petraeus, told a Harvard forum on Tuesday that the ‘military situation in Afghanistan will probably deteriorate in the near term’. He said: ‘We do believe we can achieve progress, but it’s going to get worse before it gets better. … There will be tough months ahead.’
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn -content-library/dawn/news/world/pakista n,+afghanistan+threat+to+israel+israeli+ fm-rs
TEL AVIV: Israel has shifted its focus from Iran and has now identified Pakistan and Afghanistan as the biggest threat it faces.
Israel’s hardliner Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, in his first interview to a Russian daily after taking charge, has said that since he began warning against the nuclear threat from Iran, nuclear threats have become more prevalent.
However, he said that a more urgent problem has developed in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He said Pakistan is nuclear and unstable, and Afghanistan is faced with a potential Taliban takeover, and the combination form a contiguous area of radicalism ruled in the spirit of Bin Laden.
Lieberman is of the view that countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan are a threat not only to Israel, but to the global order as a whole.
Where do you see ‘Pakistani nuclear retaliation’?
Guys Pakistan is a nuclear power. FYI
- Posted by Umair
Umair, as I said before, all Pakistani arguments end with one statement “WE HAVE NUKES”. Yes, Umair you do & the whole world knows that & that’s why the world is watching Pakistan without blinking an eyelid. Do you even understand the repercussions of any ‘Pakistani nuclear retaliation’ that you speak of?
If, Pakistan, as much as even moves it’s nukes, to load warheads, it would mean the absolute end of Pakistan. The nukes that you talk about won’t just appear out of thin air in the sky & hit it’s target. There’s enough technology in place, to detect the movement of any nukes. I know, these are desperate times for your country but of you think that nukes are the answer to anything, then you’re certainly, still clueless.