Pakistan Withdraws Claim that Senior Al-Qaeda Leader Killed

[tnitsuj]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3582445.stm

 

[Perknose]

IMHO, picking Pakistan and Musharraj (sic) for allies is just another of those "looks great in the short term", but turns out to be tragically misguided in the long term type of knee jerk, un-thought out tactical decisions we have been so fond of making in this region, like:

-- Arming and helping to create the mujahedeen to counter the Ruskies. Can you say Osama?

-- Arming and backing Saddam Hussein to counter the Iranians. Can you say, "Kuwait invaded"?

Will we never learn?

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: Perknose
IMHO, picking Pakistan and Musharraj (sic) for allies is just another of those "looks great in the short term", but turns out to be tragically misguided in the long term type of knee jerk, un-thought out tactical decisions we have been so fond of making in this region, like:

-- Arming and helping to create the mujahedeen to counter the Ruskies. Can you say Osama?

-- Arming and backing Saddam Hussein to counter the Iranians. Can you say, "Kuwait invaded"?

Will we never learn?

Supporting dictators and criminals for short term gain almost never works out.

 

[SherEPunjab]

Originally posted by: Perknose
IMHO, picking Pakistan and Musharraj (sic) for allies is just another of those "looks great in the short term", but turns out to be tragically misguided in the long term type of knee jerk, un-thought out tactical decisions we have been so fond of making in this region, like:

-- Arming and helping to create the mujahedeen to counter the Ruskies. Can you say Osama?

-- Arming and backing Saddam Hussein to counter the Iranians. Can you say, "Kuwait invaded"?

Will we never learn?

killing Daniel Pearl, forget creating the mujahideen, that may or may not have been worthwhile, what about creating the Taliban, funding them, and supporting them, while they KNEW they were ethnically cleansing non Pathans? Why was Pakistan so riled up when the U.S. was choosing who would run the country and INSISTED that Pathans ("Pashtoons") be made the major party?

Why did Masood's men blame Pakistan for killing Masood, our only real ally in Afghanistan, the Northern Alliance.

Pakistan is a pathetic joke. And they're playing this administration for what its worth. Milking every cent they can.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Perknose
IMHO, picking Pakistan and Musharraj (sic) for allies is just another of those "looks great in the short term", but turns out to be tragically misguided in the long term type of knee jerk, un-thought out tactical decisions we have been so fond of making in this region, like:

-- Arming and helping to create the mujahedeen to counter the Ruskies. Can you say Osama?

-- Arming and backing Saddam Hussein to counter the Iranians. Can you say, "Kuwait invaded"?

Will we never learn?

Actually, I think arming the mujahadeen in that case was the right move to make. Not only did they drive Russia out, but those that we aided later became the northern alliance. The Taliban aren't the ones we armed during the Soviet invasion. At least that's what the CIA says and I read a first hand account by one of their agents that later went on to write a book.

Arming Saddam was the whole "cancer or AIDs" analogy. I don't think we wanted to help either one, but it was a gamble and we lost it. Doing nothing easily could have been worse. No one ever said problems in the world would have a happy ending. Sometimes you pick the one that doesn't have the worst ending. We could have set back and let Iran take over the region or continue their hardline stance. Or maybe the Soviets could have invaded and taken over, and continued their quest to possibly dominate Asia. Who knows?

 

[conjur]

Already mentioned at the end of this thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=52&threadid=1279978