What, if anything, should Obama do about Pakistan?

[Onlooker]

I would guess just about all of us agree that the Taliban are fascistic bigots (so it's no surprise that it took the likes of Ronald Reagan to unleash them on the world). The Taliban are now making some serious inroads in Pakistan and actually threatening Islamabad. Meanwhile, Pakistan has an arsenal of nuclear weapons, and even if it's truly close to falling is unlikely to give up those weapons because of its fear of India. I have no idea what the solution is, but surely the Obama administration is trying to figure out what needs to be done. What do you think we should do, if anything, to prevent the Taliban from taking control of Pakistan and its nuclear weapons?

[moez]

1. here's one option....

:nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke::nuke:

[CBGLuthier]

2. Disgusting.

[BlooInBloo]

10. No, no, no. That's what Clinton would be inclined to do. We're talking about Obama.

[annabanana]

3. The best thing he can do is to make the Modern Pakistani trust US more than

they sympathize with their co-religionists...their fundys.

To do that he will have to make the world believe that Americans thoroughly repudiate torture.

[closeupready]

4. I don't know. Maybe we should ask Republicans. They know best.

:sarcasm:

[Psychic Consortium]

5. He is probably already doing it....

behind the scenes....
part of his Afghanistan ops.

[snappyturtle]

6. Well, it seems to me the President is doing something about Pakistan by

using the drones. I'm beginning to think that the U.S. would be better off waiting to see what happens....and should tell Pakistan that we'll stay out of it for the time being. THEN let's see what Pakistan does to get rid of their problem, the Taliban. You know there are so many 'evildoers' planet wide, I don't know how we can even choose which ones to target...those with resources? those with nukes? Maybe we should only intervene when we are seriously at risk. Why waste our resources policing? The basis of the Taliban philosophy is religious...how do we fight that? I'm asking more questions than answering so my bottom line is to watch and infiltrate to keep assessed of the 'matter'.

edit: wording

[cali]

7. the word fascist is utterly meaningless in this contexxt.

[ShortnFiery]

8. Make like a sheep herder and get the entire FLOCK (all military) out of both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Then Pakistan will settle down along with the rest of the M.E.

OUR PRESENCE in OCCUPYING these two nations is creating more terrorists than we can "bomb into The Stone Age." :(

[closeupready]

12. Yes, you are correct, but people aren't listening. As with global warming,

I believe we are going to have to kill ourselves before people decide to give peace a chance.

[cali]

16. that's utterly simplistic.

though I certainly think that we should get out Afghanistan, that is only one factor and not the largest factor by any means. And believe me, if Pakistan fails, India will not stand by.

[rug]

9. The Taliban has no chance to take state power in Pakistan and exert control over nuclear weapons.

Pakiistan is vastly different from Afghanistan. What the Taliban does have is the ability to destabilize the Pakistani government leaving it ripe for a takeover by some other interest.

[riderinthestorm]

14. Why can't the Taliban take over Pakistan?

I'm really curious about why you think that? There are a LOT of Pakistani politicians, military and intelligence leaders who actually support the Taliban. In fact, I believe the Taliban have gotten this far because they DO have a lot of support.

[rug]

15. Topography, ethnicity, population size, a long coastline, etc.

It seems to me that these factors are what have historically kept Agfghanistan independent as well as susceptible to control by a small group.

Just Pakistan's proximity to India mitigates against a Taliban takeover.

None of which is to say that a religious reactionary group can't find its way to power in Pakistan. It just won't be the Taliban.

[BlooInBloo]

11. I don't have nearly enough information to give a good answer to the question...

Those of you whose information is oh-so-much better than mine, are welcome to answer.

[closeupready]

13. Well, I know many Pakistanis, some of whom are from the political class,

and to repeat just about everything sensible people have been trying to say, there is a despair that this continued, expanded warfare into Pakistan is increasingly making people fear and hate the USA. We can turn that around, IMO, but it won't be after we've unleashed hundreds more bombs and drones on them.