[backtothestreets]

We must keep a wary eye on Pakistan. Pakistan has nukes, missiles with a range 4 times those of Iran and Korea, is home to Osama bin Laden, hosts the most al-Qaeda training camps, has by CIA estimates between 10,000 and 50,000 militant al-Qaeda jihadists, is involved with the longest lasting current militarized border dispute (with India), and has regained its eminence as the number one trafficker of illegal opium drugs, the profits of which finance both the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda schools and training camps. The recent peace pact, last week, between the Pakistani government and Pakistani tribal warlords protecting Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda is very disturbing.

Our history of propping up dictators in Islamic nations has always come back to haunt us, and there is no reason to believe our alliance with Pakistan will offer anything different.

[onyx]

Thank you for your erudite post. You said it much better than I, but we're on the same page and neither of us are wearing tinfoil hats!