Pakistan election: Sharif 'would end' war on terror role

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

The man tipped to be Pakistan's next prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, has said he would end the country's involvement in the US-led war on terror if elected.

Mr Sharif told the BBC that the move was necessary for there to be peace in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world.
...
Asked whether he would take Pakistan out of the war on terror, Mr Sharif said: "Yes, we have to."

But he declined to say whether he would stop military operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22458288

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Though I would have thought "military operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda" are a major part of "the war on terror", myself.

[geek tragedy]

1. Strategic ambiguity or weaseling?

Pakistan's military is barely a match for the Taliban with US air and tactical support. Remove the US and its technology from the equation, and it's pretty clear the Emirate of Waziristan will become at least a de facto reality.

Whether the Taliban overreach and try to extend their control to the entire country remains to be seen. Most likely they'll retain their veto power over any secular candidates--by blowing them up.

Hard to envision a good outlook for the country.

[cosmicone]

2. Nawaz Sharif is a good man

He attempted peace with India by meeting the Indian PM only to be humiliated by his then army chief of staff Musharraf with an invasion in Kashmir.

Sharif hates the pakistani military and he will probably stop support of Al Q'aeda, Taliban, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Laskhar-e-toiba and a dozen other terrorist outfits spawned by the military.

If he cuts the military down to size and eliminates the military's terrorist operations, the war on terror will end in the sub-continent and with prospects for a real peace.