The Distance from Peshawar to Islamabad
Thursday, 12. March 2009 - 1:02 AM
Is not too far.
Arbab Alamgir is a prosperous businessman in Peshawar who has made a mark in politics as federal communications minister. But that’s
unlikely to protect him this time.As the Taliban knock on Peshawar’s door, Alamgir is preparing to wind up his business and move out of his native city. “I received letters and phone calls from Lashkar-e-Islam of Mangal Bagh to close down my women’s garment shops on Jamrood Road,” Alamgir told The Times of India.
After tasting victory in Swat, where the Taliban forced the Pakistan government to its knees and accept imposition of sharia, Peshawar appears set to be the next big city to fall. If or when that happens, it will bring Taliban within striking distance of Pakistan’s seats of power — Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
You only need to read Robert Kaplan’s excellent three-part article written nine years ago to see how his chilling account is coming true.
Meanwhile, India under the Headless Wonder’s non-leadership is happily giving viceregal treatment to the retired tyrant who once wanted to nuke India.
Tags: Collapsing Pakistan, Indian Politics, Pakistan, Politics, Robert Kaplan, Taliban, Taliban Taking over Peshawar
12. March 2009 - 11:11 AM
Read Robert Kaplan’s other article about narendra modi is not so great — classic atlanticist job. Hindu “chauvnist” party.
I guess the kkkangress should then be called the “division chauvnist” party. But it wont.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/india-modi
12. March 2009 - 6:18 PM
coming to think of it, illegal immigration from Bangladesh poses a greater threat than does anything else at this point. The whole demographics of atleast 6 districts of Assam have been altered, meaning to say they are now Muslim dominated. When was the last time we heard this being made an ‘election issue’? Thanks to coalition politics not even the BJP did anything to stem this growing tide of ‘parasites’ from Bangladesh. In the end, everything in India is held hostage to coalition politics.
12. March 2009 - 8:43 PM
AG,
I agree. But give credit where it’s due: Kaplan’s piece that I linked is good. Because he wrote about the imminent collapse of Pakistan doesn’t mean he’s balanced about other topics. The problem in Western journalism is their knowledge of the Indian scene is very shallow and India doesn’t really figure in their scheme of things.
13. March 2009 - 6:52 AM
Guys
watch this video. They are selling arms of all sorts like vegetables in Kyberpass/Afghan border
http://www.vbs.tv/full_screen.php?s=DGFE2305DC&sc=1363196
13. March 2009 - 8:56 PM
Guys, its time we identified one of the non-indic’s oldest tricks: to sympathise with the indic on some things and then assume authority to lecture us on other things.
They identify the core which will no only threaten them in the long term, but will kill off their worldview in the long term, ie Hindu Dharma.
And they identify the periphery which is kinda-sorta not so threatening to them in the long term, like pak.
Then they appear pro-indic on the pak issue, but use that authorith to appear credible on their venomous articles on Hindu Dharma.
Old trick..we need to see through it.
14. March 2009 - 10:31 AM
It is sad to see Kaplan – who is usually a lot better – disgrace himself with Modi. I think the people that he talked to (Lakdawalla, Achyut Yagnik and assorted other ’social scientists’)have clearly influenced this piece; as I think did press reports.
Kaplan has not spent a lot of time in India from what I can make out – hence the simple regurgitation of the Delhi cocktail circuit talk