Pakistan: You Can't Afford Not to Care

Brian Doherty | March 31, 2009

Probably no better time than when Obama is assuring us his predator drone strikes will not evolve into ground troops in Pakistan for the Concerned American to learn a thing or two about this land whose security and stability we have taken under our mighty, mighty wing. This "Idiot's Guide to Pakistan" from Foreign Policy might help.

For example, didja know:

....the Federally Administered Tribal Areas are not part of the North-West Frontier Province. The two are separate entities in almost every sense of the word. While the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) is, well, a province with an elected assembly, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are geographically separate areas governed through “political agents” who are appointed by the president and supported by the governor of NWFP (who is also a presidential appointee). Residents of NWFP technically live according to the laws drafted by the Parliament in Islamabad, while the only nontribal law applicable to residents of FATA is the Frontier Crimes Regulations, a colonial-era dictate sanctioning collective punishment for tribes and subtribes guilty of disrupting the peace. 

Ah well, NWFP, FATA, whatever, the bombs explode the same way. Better-educated (probably), and better-armed (to be sure!), minds than ours are working on this problem even now. And may God help us all. For fans of blowback, Baitullah Massud, Tehrik-e-Taliban leader, vows an attack on D.C.

Comments

TofSushi|3.31.09 @ 12:59PM|#

First!

And I care.

Taktix®|3.31.09 @ 1:00PM|#

IS there anything going on in the world today that isn't fucking terrible?

|3.31.09 @ 1:05PM|#

Taktix -

FDA today approved a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine that isn't egg-based (which means lower likelihood of accidentally contracting the disease you're inoculating against.)

And it's kinda pretty out.

Kyle Jordan|3.31.09 @ 1:10PM|#

"IS there anything going on in the world today that isn't fucking terrible?"

I just saved a bunch of money by switching my car insurance to Geico...

Any my fiance bought an expensive bottle of wine so that means I'm getting some freaky sex tonight. Anal, possibly even nailing her in front of our open patio window to entice the hot single mom that lives across the way.

So you can take solice in my future knocking of the boots.

Kyle Jordan|3.31.09 @ 1:13PM|#

On a serious note, here's cool story.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D978VQ480&show_article=1

Honda rules. I think this solidifies my RL purchase.

hmm|3.31.09 @ 1:20PM|#

Why in gods name the US administration ever considered nation building in such a fucked up shithole is beyond me. Nation building is bad enough, if we are going to do let's do it on a smaller scale and a better region. Like Hawaii.

As callus as it sounds I don't care about the Afghan people or their plight. We have enough retarded useless fucked up people and situations here at home to worry about. If we ever solve the problems here and someone want's some help freeing themselves, and has made a concerted effort, maybe we should consider tossing them a bone. Until then DO NOT WANT!

hmm|3.31.09 @ 1:23PM|#

We also seem to have picked one of the most complex and bassackwards cultures as well. Like I said before, maybe Hawaii(they are pretty laid back) or hell if we have to go big France should be an easy colony. (rim shot) Just think of the foie gras, wine, and snooty waiters!!!

JB|3.31.09 @ 1:31PM|#

Odumba just gave them billions of dollars. They should be able to execute better attacks against Americans with that money.

It's pointless to engage with Pakistan until they take apart they the ISI. Right now the US government is at war with the ISI.

Taktix®|3.31.09 @ 1:31PM|#

Thanks Legate,

By the way, the Wikipedia entry for Encephalitis contains the following vandalism line:

The American pale lager Miller Lite is also a widely-accepted home remedy cure for encephalitis.

hmm|3.31.09 @ 1:53PM|#

It's kind of absurd to blame a single organization like the ISI. The Muslim world or most of Asia and northern Africa regardless of religion have such complex cultural relationships and loyalties that trusting anyone is damn near pointless. Not to mention some loyalties shift with so much as someone breaking wind. The best thing? Stay the fuck away. That particular "world" has proven time and time again in modern history to be nothing but a hornets nest that is not worth the trouble. Then again nation building is absurd so we shouldn't even freakin be there.

|3.31.09 @ 3:30PM|#

Better-educated (probably), and better-armed (to be sure!), minds than ours are working on this problem even now.

I take this to mean that Obama is not working on this problem even now, yes?

|3.31.09 @ 3:50PM|#

Don't know if anyone remembers this but before the war

the Taleban offered to hand over Bin Laden to Pakistan (but not the US)

I've alway thought accepting that would have been the smart thing to do

with a bit of behind the scenes negotiations they could have got an extradition order and fried the cunt

obviously even after the war it probably could have been cool if they just sorted the job out in Afganistan and didn't start some random war with a random middle eastern dictator

The situation is so fucked up now that I can't see any reasonable solution other than the hope that some kind of partition can be arranged that keeps the Taleban from gettin their hands on Pakistan's nukes

The one bonus of the whole thing is that Delhi finally seems to be, politically, getting closer to Washington.

They've always seemed like natural allies to me. A shared heritage of British Imperialism, an absolute commitment to democracy and very multi-cultural societies. India's always been very dubious about America, so its cool to see the connection between the two countries strengthen

|3.31.09 @ 4:07PM|#

"It's kind of absurd to blame a single organization like the ISI. The Muslim world or most of Asia and northern Africa regardless of religion have such complex cultural relationships and loyalties that trusting anyone is damn near pointless. Not to mention some loyalties shift with so much as someone breaking wind. The best thing? Stay the fuck away. That particular "world" has proven time and time again in modern history to be nothing but a hornets nest that is not worth the trouble. Then again nation building is absurd so we shouldn't even freakin be there."

Its kind of the default Libertarian position to say no to any kind of foreign Military intervention

I'd like to consider myself a Libertarian of sorts

but man am I damn happy that the USA got involved in in Europe in 1941

As a European I've really benefited from the political stability that's resulted from American interventionism (imperialism?)

It's hard to reconcile that fact with the idea that this was the same justification for Vietnam and Iraq

hmm|3.31.09 @ 4:24PM|#

The reasons for WWII were a little more cut and dry than "The War on Terror." For starters the US had enough money invested in the allies that them losing would have cost the US a fortune. Oh ya and Japan bombed pearl harbor. (note Japan and not Yugio Tattasanmahead a citizen of Japan)

If I had to justify a war WWII would be easy, and to be honest all things considered intervention from the US should have occurred earlier. If for no other reason than selfish economic reasons. Pearl Harbor just swayed public opinion and provided a catalyst.

It should be noted Europe was fighting for its freedom, there was no nation building mission upon entering WWII. The goal was to stop nation building of a sort by Germany. We entered Iraq and Afghanistan with only a very small minority willing, not actively fighting, for their freedom. In Afghanistan we promptly shat all over the Northern Alliance and let their leader be assassinated, the one group of people fighting for their freedoms.

(I realize the "holes" in the above statements, especially the libertarian ones, no need to point them out.)

|4.1.09 @ 10:38AM|#

The US embassy has had 7 years to figure out what is going on, so I am guessing they are just about to start getting the hang of it. Another year or so and I dont think the ISI's Jihadists will feel as cocky as they do right now. Sure, it could have been done earlier, but 7 years is not bad for gummint work...I am also guessing it wont be pretty. And that the people of Pakistan will not find the process nearly as pleasant as it could have been if handled well from the git-go.