Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have deteriorated sharply over the past year, underscored by a lack of trust, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said yesterday. Ties between the countries, major US allies in the war against terrorism, have been hurt largely due to the help resurgent Taleban rebels get on the Pakistani side of the border, Karzai said after meeting Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. | There's just something about having a bunch of spittle-flecked crazy men coming across the border repeatedly, murdering the innocents and burning schools, that tends to make one angry. |
| Putting the very best face on it, Perv is constrained by Pakland's peculiar constitution and its delicate internal balance of power. He's incapable of bringing Pashtunistan to heel because he doesn't have the raw power to do it. When he tries to use the mighty Pak army against the locally grown fundos his political position becomes more tenuous, to the point where he could end up losing it all. Putting an more realistic face on it, Perv's part and parcel of the system, not a passive player. Afghanistan is in the same category as Kashmir to the Punjabi military geniuses and the domestic Talibs -- there's actually no difference between the Pak an Afghan variety, as we've seen pretty clearly for the past five years or so -- represent an auxilliary force just like the one we saw used in Kargil. They're not going to destroy the Taliban, just as it's doubtful they'll ever allow the Talibs to actually take over the country; Mullah Omar's regime was too independent when it was in power, and as "amir al-moumineen" (Prince of the Faithful) he had some funny pretensions. It looks like the Paks let the mask slip sometime in the past year. They're more open in lording it over the Afghans, even contemptuous. It's obvious a deal's been worked between ISI -- and likely the Army Staff -- and the Talibs, while another deal's been worked between the Talibs and al-Qaeda. There is a patchwork of Talib and Qaeda fiefdoms running from Khyber to Quetta and points south and the gummint's withdrawn to let the turbans run things while Islamabad makes occasional soothing noises and plays both ends against the middle. |