[melwilde]

For the last two years I have been reading Pakistani newspapers reporting daily
casualties and deaths of Taliban militants. They have reported so many deaths I wonder what the total population of the country is?
Does anyone trust or give credibility to anything the Government of Pakistan says?
Are these people really allies of western civilization?

[potan]

No they are not allies of western civilization. Thanks to MA Jinnah, the country itself was founded on the basis of theocratic rule, if they wanted a liberal democratic country they would have stayed with India at partition. But thats another debate for another time.

People need to understand that Pakistan is a very different country than Afghanistan. The western half of the country and the Northwest Frontier Province are basically like Afghanistan with a majority population of Pashtuns (they are tough people, no one, and i mean no one can defeat them unless you make them your friends) while the rest of the country including major cities Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore are essentially "Indian" in culture.

I hate to say this but, the best thing that can happen to Pakistan is the return of military rule by someone along the likes of General Musharraf. Musharraf along with the army of Pakistan are the only secular, pro-western forces in the country. The politicians, the ISI spy agency, or anyone else for that matter cannot be trusted. It should also be noted that I am referring only to the army, not the whole military, it is obvious that certain elements of the military are playing both sides.

[kwlafayette]

The thing about counter insurgencies, a regular army needs 10 soldiers for every insurgent. If there were even a half million taliban, it would require 5 million soldiers to effectively counter them. That is what they figured for Vietnam at least.

However many taliban there are, they have the rest of the people scared into irrelevancy.

[Edmund Onward James]

How many Taliban? Too many. And Potan has stated they (Pakistani Talibans) cannot be defeated. Really?

The problem with the last few presidents they have not truly unleashed because of the Geneva convention and UN... so forth. Germany and Japan were defeated, ergo... figure it out.

Vietnam was a peacekeeping mission. Same with Bosnia etc. Any time they call it peacekeeping there is never peace. An opposite force must be annihilated until they drop their weapons and plead. Then a base must be set up. When the grandfathers and fathers pass away, then, perhaps, the next generation can accept a form of democracy or at least decency.

[DFP]

Pakistan's government is subservient to Western interests. After Musharaff was deposed, Bhutto was about to usher in a radical change in Pakistani affairs(re-instating the judiciary). She was gunned down...pakistanis when asked who killed Benazir Bhutto reply: Zardari did it


Zardari was Bhutto's husband and is generally despised by the people. Remember when Bhutto's son was handed power? Her husband took over *temporarily*

The more pressure we place on Pakistan, the more likely it'll turn into a cornered animal.

[NYK007]

Hi,

Sandra here from Canada. What this is all about? Can someone clarify this to me?

Thank you
Sandy


$2.5 Indian Gold