I think the United States intervention in Afghanistan, during the rule of the communists, was undertaken with many restrictions to the same. Around Afghanistan, Pakistan was the only neighbour of Afghanistan, which wanted to ally with the United States. Pakistan were aware of this strategic importance of theirs. Then, as now, if people wanted to enter Pakistan, or leave for Afghanistan, from Pakistan, it was perhaps not possible to prevent them from doing so. Pakistan, perhaps, used the same Mujahedeen who fought the communists in Afghanistan, to fight in Jammu and Kashmir. I am also sure, that the United States were aware of this, when they were involved in Afghanistan, They chose to look the other way. The Taliban operated after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan. They are an indigenous movement starting in Pakistan, with a view to control Afghanistan, and perhaps, to wage Jihad against India. The Pakistani's miscalculated, but how? The Taliban were friendly to Pakistan, but they perhaps asked the question, 'If the Taliban are good enough to administrate Afghanistan, then what stops the Pakistani's from Talibanizing Pakistan?' The game played by the Pakistan administration, was perhaps, too convoluted.
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AdityaMookerjee Reply
"I am also sure, that the United States were aware of this, when they were involved in Afghanistan, They chose to look the other way."
You'd have to make the case that mujahideen fighting against the Soviets were simultaneously engaged against India. I don't think you can. AFTER the Soviets left Afghanistan? A different story, certainly.
"They are an indigenous movement starting in Pakistan, with a view to control Afghanistan, and perhaps, to wage Jihad against India."
Wrong. The taliban are indigenous therefore not borne of Pakistani machinations. The taliban spontaneously arose out of Oruzgan province and spread into Kandahar. It was only after achieving control of the Kandahar region that the ISI began actively supporting the taliban. Many say (to include Ahmed Rashid) it was the result of Benazir Bhutto asceding to the Pakistani trucking mafia's desire for unfettered access across southern Afghanistan's routes. In any case, it was at this point that the ISI began surreptiously shifting support from Hekmatyar to Omar thus altering the balance of power among Afghanistan's competing factions.
"The Pakistani's miscalculated, but how? The Taliban were friendly to Pakistan, but they perhaps asked the question, 'If the Taliban are good enough to administrate Afghanistan, then what stops the Pakistani's from Talibanizing Pakistan?' The game played by the Pakistan administration, was perhaps, too convoluted."
This is correct but the miscalculation to which you refer was only made following the taliban's defeat by America in 2001. There appears to be a thorough misunderstanding by the Pakistani military and ISI regarding the extent indigenous pashtuns wouldn't misconstrue the lavish welcome provided to retreating Afghan taliban leaders and their soldier minions.
Nek Mohammad, Baitullah Mehsud and others saw the pandering weakness of the PA and Musharraf regime as exploitable within Pakistan. The afghan taliban, however simpatico in its quaint world-view to their Pakistani cousins, have never actively supported the TTP. The afghans have understood too well who butters their bread."This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
"The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs
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Originally posted by AdityaMookerjee View PostIn my estimation, the 'War on Terror' was won, not long after it was started.
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