Virtual Taliban state in Northern Pakistan.

[Fake Boris]

Historically the Pachtuns have occupied an area that spans both colonialist Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since the Taleban are an essentially Pachtun political force, it does actually shed some light on the matter.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
Historically the Pachtuns have occupied an area that spans both colonialist Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since the Taleban are an essentially Pachtun political force, it does actually shed some light on the matter.

It still doesnt explain why the lack of an "alternative" in afghanistan (and an alternative would like be a non-Pashtun replacing the Pashtun Kharzai, IIUC about Afghan politics) would cause the Pashtuns in NWFP to more strongly assert their independence, and to Talibanize. The govt of Musharraf is the alternative theyve got. The growth in Taliban influence in Pakistan seems to have been ongoing, for several years, and seems to relate most closely to Paki govt initiatives and lack thereof in NWFP.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
How about this?

Declare the 10-mile strip of land along the Afghani border to be a Kill Zone. Everyone found in there is presumed to be either a Taliban guerilla or smuggling arms to Taliban guerillas. They should be easy to spot against the snow by heat detecting Preditors.

Pakistan won't like it, but they cannot Not NOT permit an area of their country to be used as a staging area for attacks upon a neighboring country and/or N.A.T.O. troops.

This maybe the only workable solution. They'd need a lot more ground troops to do that and they'd need to be guarding that mountianous area 24/7 to do it correctly.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Oncle Boris
Historically the Pachtuns have occupied an area that spans both colonialist Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghanistan was never a colony, fake boris.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Yay! Freedom and Democracy are spreading throughout the Middle East, just as Bush predicted! I hereby renounce my sensible liberalism and adopt bat**** crazyism!

Pakistan is South Asia, not the Middle East





ICE BURN

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Afghanistan was never a colony, fake boris.

Originally posted by Wikipedia
During the 19th century, following the Anglo-Afghan wars (fought 1839-42, 1878-80, and lastly in 1919) and the ascension of the Barakzai dynasty, Afghanistan saw much of its territory and autonomy ceded to the United Kingdom.

[Dinner]

Afghanistan was always independent though the area which is now northern Pakistan was previously under the control of the Mogul Empire. Modern Afghanistan is a successor state to the Mogul Empire.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Afghanistan was always independent though the area which is now northern Pakistan was previously under the control of the Mogul Empire. Modern Afghanistan is a successor state to the Mogul Empire.

According to Wiki...the Mogul Empire's capital was in Kabul.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by Cranky


Has anybody ever thought to invest in the arms industry? With so many war lovers in the US, i would think you would get rich very quickly.

I tried, but then I sold and put my money in the oil industry instead Then Flaherty ruined me!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


According to Wiki...the Mogul Empire's capital was in Kabul.

Yes. Afghanistan is a sucessor state to the Mogul Empire just as Russia is a sucessor to the USSR though Russia retained far more of its empire then the Mogul sucessor state did (most of it was in India and Pakistan).

[Ned]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Yay! Freedom and Democracy are spreading throughout the Middle East, just as Bush predicted! I hereby renounce my sensible liberalism and adopt bat**** crazyism!

"sensible liberalism." Now that is another oxymoron for the ages.

[Ned]

AQ is now focusing on Iraq. When that is over, they will again focus on Afghanistan. That done, next to fall would be Pakistan.

Dominoes anyone?

[Dis]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Yay! Freedom and Democracy are spreading throughout the Middle East, just as Bush predicted! I hereby renounce my sensible liberalism and adopt bat**** crazyism!

So leaving Afghanistan in the hands of the Taliban was a better option?

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Ned
AQ is now focusing on Iraq. When that is over, they will again focus on Afghanistan. That done, next to fall would be Pakistan.

Dominoes anyone?

Do you really think that Iraq will be "over" anytime soon?


Yes the US will eventually get fed up and leave but that doesn't meen AQ start running the show

[Dr Strangelove]

It sounds to me that the best plan would be to train the tribes to fight back to regain their lost territory, perhps even to use suicide attacks and other terror tactics.