Article

2008-08-17 India-Pakistan

Bush bets that Pakistan will become South Korea, not Iran

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by ryuge 2008-08-17 07:46|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#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|| 2008-08-17 08:33|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-08-17 09:03|| Front Page Top

#3 Apparently, they can't take a clue though.

Posted by Spot">Spot 2008-08-17 09:31|| 2008-08-17 09:31|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-08-17 09:37|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-08-17 09:44|| Front Page Top

#6 South Vietnam could have been the next south Korea.

Posted by bman 2008-08-17 12:25|| 2008-08-17 12:25|| Front Page Top

#7 Not while the North supported the guerrilla army in the South.

Posted by john frum 2008-08-17 13:45|| 2008-08-17 13:45|| Front Page Top

#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|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2008-08-17 16:35|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-08-17 16:43|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2008-08-17 17:08|| Front Page Top

#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">Frank G 2008-08-17 20:29|| 2008-08-17 20:29|| Front Page Top

#12 Ouch.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-08-17 20:31|| 2008-08-17 20:31|| Front Page Top

23:54 Sherese Jones6358
23:43 Frank G
23:33 Sherese Jones6358
23:27 Frank G
23:24 Sherese Jones6358
23:15 Halliburton - Idiot Suppression Division
23:08 Sherese Jones6358
22:49 Barak YoMama
22:44 Sherese Jones6358
22:41 Another Darrell
22:36 eLarson
22:30 Red Dawg
22:16 Frank G
22:07 Pappy
21:58 Seafarious
21:54 Frank G
21:49 Frank G
21:44 Abu do you love
21:40 JosephMendiola
21:28 Deacon Blues
21:27 Red Dawg
21:23 JosephMendiola
21:20 JosephMendiola
21:15 Don Vito Snusort2682