Last Stop: Will Pakistan Test America?

In 1971, American forces struck Cambodia. Continuous bombing and military exercises had been carried out in the period prior to this assault, on account of Vietcong provocation of America in skirmishes and activities underway on Cambodian soil. After this, as is well known, Cambodia entered into a spiral of violence, fighting, destruction etc, and then the insurgents began to defeat America in Vietnam.

The current situation resembles this, with the only difference being that the Pakistan situation is even more complex. The war on Pakistan that is erupting in the tribal regions, under the auspices of thwarting attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, does not necessarily mean that these attacks will indeed be thwarted, or that involvement will decrease, or that those who are targeted will leave. But it might mean a resounding defeat for America, the largest of the large since its defeat in Vietnam. Because of this, there appears to be a definitive defeat in store for America’s hegemonic plans in the region and in the world.

Just as Cambodia tested America, so too will Pakistan come to test her. As we all remember, America asked Pakistan to lead the charge and start its defensive war by attacking Afghanistan. At first, Pakistan was not satisfied with the justifications for an attack on Afghanistan, and asked the United States to furnish tangible proof of Al-Qaeda’s involvement in and the Taliban’s backing of the events of September 11, 2001. But under pressure, Pakistan cracked. America got its war with Afghanistan and was permitted to occupy it while Pakistan shut its eyes. It is no secret that the Pakistani army was and continues to be connected to the Taliban. In the 1970’s, the Taliban formed an alliance with the Pakistani secret service and America’s Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA, to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. The Soviets were driven off by Taliban fighters with support from America, the West, Pakistan, and the Islamists. Taliban madrasas in Pakistan spread by the thousands, and American attacks have correspondingly created increased Islamic extremism in Pakistan.

Attempts to increase American and NATO forces inside Afghanistan will inevitably lead to an increase in confrontations, but it will not keep the Taliban from taking hold of all of Afghanistan, especially since Kabul is besieged today and the Taliban now occupies 54 percent of Afghanistan and will have an opportunity to increase that hold this winter. Increasing forces and penetration into Afghanistan’s interior is not enough to eliminate the Taliban’s occupation. Suffice it to say that unless America can deepen its occupation of the Pakistani tribal regions or occupation of other parts of Pakistan, widespread military action against Pakistani tribal regions will bring about nothing of import but violence – the kind of savage slaughter, annihilation and destruction that America typically pursues – and an increase in opposition and extremism for which America will pay a high price. And no one can profit from this, especially not America itself.