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India-Pakistan
Bush bets that Pakistan will become South Korea, not Iran
2008-08-17
By Mort Kondracke
Posted by:ryuge

#12  Ouch.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2008-08-17 20:31  

#11  Many Pakistani commentators write with longing for the time when the South Koreans (and many others) regularly came to them for advice on industrial policy.

well as least the NK's can visit and marvel
Posted by: Frank G   2008-08-17 20:29  

#10  The South Koreans blended hard work, Confucian values, western aspirations, and national pride to accomplish nothing short of a miracle in a few decades.

The Pakistanis have the national pride and the Koran -- they're doomed.
Posted by: Darrell   2008-08-17 17:08  

#9  Tet pretty much annihilated the VC [not that the MSM would ever let you know that]. From that point on the war effort was carried on by the NVA. The VC remained as a front/sock puppet for Hanoi, much to their surprise when the North finally did take over and pushed them aside. The North mounted one invasion after the bulk of the US left and the South's army was able to contain them with some assistance, mainly air support. However, the Donk controlled Congress subsequently cut all funding for supplies and support. The second invasion by the North succeeded.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2008-08-17 16:43  

#8  jf: Not while the North supported the guerrilla army in the South.

Actually, by the time Uncle Sam pulled out, that guerrilla army was basically finished. Then North Vietnam regulars invaded with tanks, Migs and artillery.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2008-08-17 16:35  

#7  Not while the North supported the guerrilla army in the South.
Posted by: john frum   2008-08-17 13:45  

#6  South Vietnam could have been the next south Korea.
Posted by: bman   2008-08-17 12:25  

#5  Is there anywhere in Morton's opinion piece a quote from Bush or a member of his administration stating that the President is "betting" that Pakistan will become like South Korea?

How I loathe this kind of work - a frolic of stupidity conjured up from a good-bye and good luck phone call from George W. Bush to a principal actor (for good and ill) in America's WoT.
Posted by: mrp   2008-08-17 09:44  

#4  And that Amerikanski (untranslatable Russian) stands there, and he looks at me like he's trying to figure if I'm wearing contact lenses, or something.
Posted by: Vladimir Putin   2008-08-17 09:37  

#3  Apparently, they can't take a clue though.
Posted by: Spot   2008-08-17 09:31  

#2  In the 1960s, South Korean delegations would visit Pakistan to learn about economic development. Pakistan had a higher per capita income and South Korea even copied Pakistan's second five year plan (1960-1965).

At that time, the Indo-Pak border was open. People still crossed back and forth and the currency of each country was used in towns on either side.

In 1965, Pakistan launched "Operation Gibraltar". 40,000 Pakistani troops and irregulars, disguised as locals, entered Jammu and Kashmir to provoke a rebellion among the population. There was a great stir amongst the Muslim population due to the mysterious disappearance of a holy relic - a hair from the beard of the Prophet Mohammed, from Kashmir's Hazratbal shrine. Then President General Ayub Khan and Foreign Minister ZA Bhutto (Benazir's father) believed that they could seize most of Kashmir and force India to the negotiating table where the seizure would be legitimized.

India counter-attacked across the LOC and captured most of the infiltrators. Pakistan then launched "Operation Grand Slam" and attacked J+K with Patton tanks (which they had promised the US they would not use against India). They attempted to seize Akhnoor Bridge and cutoff the supply lines to an Indian infantry division and threaten Jammu. The Patton tanks were far superior to India's AMX tanks and Pakistan believed they would crush the Indian response.

India stopped the advance and proceeded to attack across the international border in the Punjab, an escalation of the conflict that the Pakistanis did not think likely. This was now full scale war.

After the 1965 Indo-Pak war, things rapidly went downhill for Pakistan. South Korea became an economic power while Pakistan remained mired in the third world.

60 captured Patton tanks were displayed at Bhikiwind village, nicknamed Patton Nagar.

Indian children still play there.


Many Pakistani commentators write with longing for the time when the South Koreans (and many others) regularly came to them for advice on industrial policy.
Posted by: john frum   2008-08-17 09:03  

#1  Misses the impact of their religion on the Pak. Other than the nihilistic cult of personality [and starvation] from the North, I don't recall any particular religion having a 'death cult' aspect to it that runs in the South.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2008-08-17 08:33  

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