Posts
(Analyst's note: Absolutely must read and consider. At this point we seem to be headed exactly in the wrong direction per these recommendations from one who has studied this enemy for years.)
By Dr. Walid Phares
The worst events in this war have yet to happen. Analysts must focus on the lessons learned so far so that the worrying projections can be accompanied with parallel policy suggestions.
.... Based on these findings, the following are strategic recommendations for the U.S. Administration to consider seriously:
A. As Pakistan’s armed forces and its government are waging a counter campaign on the Taliban, Washington must refrain from regurgitating the myth of “cutting deals with the good Taliban” as an exit strategy for Afghanistan. Such a hallucination would crumble the determination of anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan and would weaken the resolve of the Pakistanis engaged in their own national counter terrorism campaign against the Taliban.
B. The Obama Administration must help Zardari’s government discretely and at the demand of the latter. U.S. and Pakistani leaders should coordinate efforts without exposing this cooperation to jihadist propaganda
C. The Obama Administration must rapidly extend resources to General McChrystal in Afghanistan so that the pincer movement against the regional Taliban can happen at the same time. Now that the Pakistanis are on the offensive in Waziristan, NATO and Afghan forces must take the offensive on the other side of the border. The Taliban must not be enabled to fight one adversary at a time, by massing all their resources in two countries against one foe then move to the next.
I am sure U.S. and NATO strategists and Pakistani decision makers have this in mind. But we need to make sure U.S. decision makers do not have other plans in mind. Otherwise, if the pincer strategy is not performed, we may lose not one but two countries in the region to the jihadists – one of them being already nuclear.
No comments:
Post a Comment