To observers in America it may seem puzzling how a relatively small number of lightly armed religious extremists can be having so much effect in destabilizing and threatening the government of Pakistan. After all, Pakistan has over a million troops in its armies and has one of the 10 largest and relatively modern armies in the world. The Taliban, by comparison, has a ragtag network of religious fanatics with mostly small arms, mortars, pick-up trucks and limited training.
The problem in Pakistan appears to be that the structure of their military makes it difficult for them to fight effectively against insurgent forces. In addition to the main Pakistani Army, much of their military strength is made up of militia-like units like the Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary whose personal loyalties are more to tribal and regional interests than to the national government. As a result, the government lacks confidence in the loyalty and reliability of these units. The constabulary is already suspected of collaborating with the Taliban, and the fear is that if they are put under too much pressure to fight the Taliban, the better trained and more heavily armed Frontier Corps will be provoked into changing sides.
This causes the government to be reluctant to direct its potentially overwhelming military force against the Taliban out of fear that it will spur internal conflict in the military and have the result of actually strengthening the enemy by pushing units with weak loyalty into siding against the government.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Army is launching a large-scale assault against Taliban forces which are concentrated in the Swat valley and have been terrorizing the population, robbing banks and businesses and putting up barricades to stop civilian refugees from escaping so they can be used as human shields against government forces.
Article comments
1 - Dan(Miller)
Dave, I don't quite grasp the last sentence in which you appear to suggest that support from Iran [for Pakistan's military] . . . is essential to bringing peace to the region.
I assume that Iran would expect to gain substantially from what you seem to suggest, but don't understand why Pakistan would be willing to pay what could be a very high price, or why her current allies would acquiesce.
This is merely a question; I have no better alternative to suggest.
Dan(Miller)
2 - Dave Nalle
Iran is the other big player in the region. I was writing in terms of stabilizing Afghanistan, though Iran could play a role in Baluchistan as well. If Iran could be persuaded to turn against the Taliban -- who are not Shiites and therefore religiously at odds with them anyway, it would help take pressure off of the US and Pakistan on that front.
Dave
3 - Ruvy
Dave, Dan,
Dave, you certainly realize, something you should state up-front that Pakistan is terribly divided. Essentially the country represents an idea - that Moslems should not have to live under Hindu rule. Tat said, the second largest Moslem population on the planet is in - wait for it - India!
So, the very concept of Pakistan is a failure.
Therefore, what you need to say right up front, is that in addition to having an army that is divided, a secret service that created the Taliban, and a civilian government that is burying its head in the sand, it is bitterly divided among Sindhis, Baluchis, Pathans and a whole bunch of others who, besides than being Moslems and being willing to speak Urdu, share little in common and no love for each other.
Dan, Afghanistan has never been really subdued by a foreign power. It will not be subbdued now, unless the yosefzai, rabanizai, and afridi, representing the Israelite tribes of Yosef, Reuven and Efraim, decide they have something better to do than scream alláh hu akbár!! while beheading kaffirs on video.
4 - Cindy
From what I have read there might be a couple more problems, similar to the problems faced by the US military forces in trying to fight in Afghanistan. I'll post the article here when I find it.
I found you on twitter. Your 'inexplicable' following is likely a result of this comment in your bio: Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus