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Afghanistan Is in Freefall. America Must Punish Pakistan For Its Role.
The National Interest ^ | 8/13/2021 | Michael Rubin

Posted on 08/13/2021 7:38:31 PM PDT by anthropocene_x

The American defeat to the Taliban and, by extension, Pakistan is a humiliation rooted not in a US military failure but the corrosiveness and shortsightedness of America’s own political debate. It is a blow the United States might have avoided, but should not take without a response. Simply put, it is time to sanction Pakistan.

Simply put, if Pakistan had not taken the decision to support, co-opt, and control the Taliban, Afghanistan would never be in such a dire situation. The majority of Taliban car bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) use precursor chemicals that come from two fertilizer plants in Pakistan. While conducting research for a history of US diplomacy with rogue regimes and terror groups, I interviewed a number of Pakistani officials about the Taliban. One former head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency acknowledged to me over tea in the Islamabad Club that Pakistan was playing both sides of the issue—supporting the Taliban insurgency while then charging the United States extortionate fees so that the Pentagon could resupply its forces. From the ISI’s standpoint, it was like hitting the jackpot. Since the 9/11 attacks, the United States has given Pakistan almost $23 billion in security assistance and Coalition Support Funds.

Pakistan remains jihad central. It sustained the Taliban and sheltered Usama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, a town that is Pakistan’s equivalent of West Point. Pakistan also sheltered 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, before his 2003 capture. The United Nations believes Bin Laden’s successor Ayman al-Zawahiri lives under Pakistani protection. The current Taliban assault did not materialize out of thin air, but rather is a sign of deception: Pakistani officials deceived their American counterparts they were facilitating peace talks while in reality they were preparing the Taliban to take over Afghanistan.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; History; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; china; pakistan
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OBL was found hiding in a house about a mile away from headquarters of Pakistan's Intelligence agency. If you think, like the Deep State Department does, that this was probably just innocent coincidence, then you also probably think the fish market where COVID started being just a few miles from the Wuhan Institute of Vorology was also just an innocent coincidence.
1 posted on 08/13/2021 7:38:31 PM PDT by anthropocene_x
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To: anthropocene_x

We could invade Pakistan next.


2 posted on 08/13/2021 7:40:48 PM PDT by Captain Walker ("The side that has Truth gets Humor as a bonus.")
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To: anthropocene_x

Just another neocon scumbag.


3 posted on 08/13/2021 7:43:30 PM PDT by Mariner (War criminal #18)
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To: Captain Walker

Pakistan is home to only GOOD Moooslims.


4 posted on 08/13/2021 7:45:15 PM PDT by alstewartfan ("She looks like she's 19 years old, sitting there like a lady with her legs crossed." Creepy Joe)
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To: All

Hey, I know!!

Lets start a war with Pakistan!!!!

Raytheon and General Dynamics deserve as big a windfall profit as Pfizer and Moderna!!!!!!!


5 posted on 08/13/2021 7:45:22 PM PDT by LegendHasIt
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To: anthropocene_x

Punish Pakistan by making it an even stronger ally of China.

Brilliant Mr. Rubin.


6 posted on 08/13/2021 7:45:35 PM PDT by Trumpisourlastchance
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To: anthropocene_x

Pakistan?

How about we impeach Biden/Harris first?


7 posted on 08/13/2021 7:47:37 PM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you... " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017) )
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To: All
1-DCDE763-2758-4-D36-89-DB-86-ADD97-DBEA3
8 posted on 08/13/2021 7:48:57 PM PDT by AnthonySoprano (‘’’)
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To: blueplum

Arrest them.


9 posted on 08/13/2021 7:51:02 PM PDT by HighSierra5 (The only way you know a commie is lying is when they open their pieholes.)
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To: AnthonySoprano
DE49-A578-40-B4-4844-B113-526-AE00-A0-FCC

10 posted on 08/13/2021 7:51:23 PM PDT by AnthonySoprano (‘’’)
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To: anthropocene_x

Bidenghanastan


11 posted on 08/13/2021 7:51:56 PM PDT by inchworm (al )
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To: anthropocene_x

No offence, Rubin. But you can bite the big one. We have our hands full with the collapse of our own country thanks to turnip head joe and the eighty million dumba$$es who thought it was a good idea to vote for this disgrace of a president. And the entire democrat party and half of the republican party.

We simply no longer give a rats a$$. We’re fresh out of rats a$$es to give.


12 posted on 08/13/2021 7:53:51 PM PDT by smvoice (I WILL NOT WEAR THE RIBBON. OR THE MASK)
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To: anthropocene_x

W.T.F?

Joseph Stolen abandons Aghanistan and it’s Pakistan’s fault?


13 posted on 08/13/2021 7:59:36 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy." ― Mao Zedong)
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To: Captain Walker

Pakistan has nuclear weapons and has been in bed with China for decades so seriously Pakistan can do without us so to speak and we will do nothing to it close to military.


14 posted on 08/13/2021 8:01:47 PM PDT by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODYS BUSINESS, REMEMBER PASTOR NIEMOLLER)
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To: Mariner

Amen brother. Amen!


15 posted on 08/13/2021 8:10:06 PM PDT by ImpBill ("America - Where are you now?")
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Ping


16 posted on 08/13/2021 8:11:29 PM PDT by llevrok (I'm old enough to remember metal toys in Cracker-Jacks.)
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To: anthropocene_x

If Poland invaded Turkey from the rear would Greece help


17 posted on 08/13/2021 8:14:40 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: Captain Walker

Pakistan has nukes...


18 posted on 08/13/2021 8:15:38 PM PDT by GOPJ (Biden's Border Plan: Dump diseased illegals in Florida & other red states to discredit DeSantis )
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To: anthropocene_x

We need to punish the Biden Administration for its role.


19 posted on 08/13/2021 8:18:27 PM PDT by blackdog (Sophisticated so public policy is not applicable. )
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To: anthropocene_x

RE: America Must Punish Pakistan For Its Role.

Let’s not forget that our Special Forces KILLED Osama Bin Ladin in Pakistan, in a compound located in a place called Abbottabad, which is just LESS THAN A MILE from one of Pakistan’s MILITARY ACADEMY.

Let that sink in. We’re supposed to believe that the Pakistanis didn’t know that he was living there?


20 posted on 08/13/2021 8:24:43 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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