Will Pakistan revolt?

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

So, it seems Pakistan's potent opposition parties are unhappy with the conditions on American aid. Now they're talking about negotiating with the US over it. While I don't think it's likely, a defeat in Pakistan's parliament could spell overall defeat both for Obama's war efforts in Afghanistan, and peoples' willingness to put up with Afghanistan any longer. Is there a way to keep Pakistan happy and sovereign without adversely impacting our actual goals? I think we can all agree that money we spend there has to have a specific purpose if we're going to spend it all. Can we trust the government to fight the Taliban? Can we expect that, without US conditions on aid, they'll do so in a way that compliments our own efforts across the border?

Comments

[uberarcanist.livejournal.com]

Our central problems in the region stem from our own addiction to interventionism so, if they choose to be dysfunctional, it shouldn't be America's problem.

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

And if al Qaeda comes back with force in Afghanistan? If the Taliban starts gaining ground in Pakistan? What of their nuclear arms? I'd say the US has a pretty significant interest in keeping Pakistan stable, and that requires that there not be raids from terrorist organizations next door.

[uberarcanist.livejournal.com]

Does it not seem odd to you that Pakistan has gotten worse, not better, with America's interventionism?

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

So leaving Pakistan to fend for itself will make it better?

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

It's already collapsed once and may end up doing so again....

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

Which would be insanely problematic, considering the weapons they have. I'd say that we have an essential interest in stability there (and so does everybody, really). The question becomes whether our intervention fosters or harms stability. I'd say that it can destabilize, but less than it promotes stability.

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

To a degree, yes, but if it gets too expensive and we have to withdraw, all we've done is make it far, far worse....

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

How exactly is the collapse of Pakistan (i.e. why we have Pakistan and Bangladesh) the US's fault again?

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Or maybe some other countries in the world need to pull their head out their ass and realize what they have to lose in Pakistan.

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

Which they will never do so long as the US is playing global cop. But unless the US plays global cop, we have no one there to watch out for our interests... Basically, a catch-22.