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India-Pakistan
New 'Great Game' Limits America's Options in Pakistan
2011-05-11
Here's an inconvenient truth for those conservatives demanding robust U.S. action against Pakistan. The Paks' double-dealing -- acting as a U.S. ally in the War with Jihad while simultaneously harboring Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar, the governing shura (council) of the Afghanistan Taliban in Quetta and thousands of individual Talibs -- is indeed infuriating. It's also very much in Pakistan's interest.

Pakistan happens to live in a very tough neighborhood. Duplicity is the only way it survives: India to the east of them, Iran to the west of them, China and Russia to the north of them. And an angry America all over them.

Geography -- not the inconvenient truth, it's coming in a minute -- hasn't come up much in all the huffing-and-puffing on the blogs and the cable channels. But neither has the inconvenient truth.

Let's call it the 800-pound gorilla.
Posted by:tipper

#11  When I lived in Asia I maintained you only needed to know the following phrases in the local language.

Don't want

Don't know

Don't care
Posted by: phil_b   2011-05-11 20:25  

#10  ...and foreign languages.

A Gentleman of the World should be able to both greet and curse the locals in their wretched native tongue. To do otherwise would be nye kulturny.
Posted by: SteveS   2011-05-11 19:38  

#9  China should be worried. If Pak Jihadists get their hands on a nuclear armed missile in the 2,000 kilometer range, where are they going to fire it and not kill a lot of muslims?

China is the only place on my list.
Posted by: phil_b   2011-05-11 19:35  

#8  they are scared stiff that they may be in the passenger's seat when the Paks drive over the cliff. I doubt the rulers of China are scared that easily, their problem is keeping their people employed & not rioting. China's legitimate worry about Pakistain is whether or not China is downwind should the nukes fly.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2011-05-11 17:46  

#7  The was an article yesterday indicating that China is as worried about Pakistan's self-destructive habits as we are.

It seems that the Chinese are willing to say sweet nothings to the PAks and take any gifts the Paks give them, but they are scared stiff that they may be in the passenger's seat when the Paks drive over the cliff.
Posted by: Frozen Al   2011-05-11 16:46  

#6   War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.
Ambrose Bierce


...and foreign languages.

-- Rosetta Stone (which claims the U.S. State Dept. and Dept. of Defence as major corporate customers)
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-05-11 14:32  

#5  War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.
Ambrose Bierce
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2011-05-11 12:20  

#4  Stunts like 911 SHOULD have reduced the whole of Pakistan to a radioactive hell hole....
Posted by: Black Bart Phuling7750   2011-05-11 11:44  

#3  Stunts like 911 could have reduced the whole of Pakistan to a radioactive hell hole....
Posted by: Water Modem   2011-05-11 11:14  

#2  Duplicity is the only way it survives: India to the east of them

How much of a threat would India really be if the Pakistainis stopped being the murderous and annoying little shits that they are? Stunts like Mumbai do not make for happy neighbors.
Posted by: SteveS   2011-05-11 11:08  

#1  Hardly news.

China has supported Pakistan since Mao split with the Soviet Union, and India and the Soviet Union were best buddies.

You remember the Soviet Union. Dumpy men in really bad suits and even worse haircuts.
Posted by: phil_b   2011-05-11 06:43  

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