Marriott Bombing’s Unintended Consequence

Morale and will of the Pakistani military a serious question mark, and elements openly support the Taliban and al Qaeda, and are unwilling to fight their countrymen.

An unintended consequence of the devastating bombing at the Marriott Hotel in the heart of Islamabad last Saturday, September 20 has been provoking the Pakistani government to talk tough about taking on the Taliban and al Qaeda forces nested in Pakistan’s tribal areas. The latest attack, that killed more than 50 Pakistanis and foreigners and wounded over 270, is being described as “Pakistan’s 9-11.”

Whether or not Pakistan can deliver on its tough talk or not is a matter of considerable debate inside and outside of Pakistan. That could start to be answered soon as Pakistan news sources are reporting major operation have been underway since the 23^rd.

The Taliban / al Qaeda forces are not a rag tag bunch but a well armed force capable of fighting at the battalion level with good communications and weapons that Pakistan admits is often better they their own.

Pakistan has deployed 100,000 troops into the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. The morale and will of the Pakistani military and intelligence services remains a serious question mark. Elements of the Inter-Service Intelligence are known to openly support the Taliban and al Qaeda, and portions of the military are either sympathetic to the Taliban or unwilling to fight their countrymen.

The Pakistani government, with its new leader, can rant and rave but unless it’s military has the will that is just worthless nattering.

Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In 1947 it became an independent Muslim state with four provinces and federally administered tribal areas now controlled by radical Taliban and al Qaeda forces.

It is the sixth most populous country in the world and has the second largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia. Originally it was connected with East Pakistan on the other side of India that became Bangladesh in 1971.

During the Soviet-Afghan War Pakistan covertly supported the Afghan mujahideen and even shot down several intruding Soviet bombers.

In 1999, Pakistan was embroiled with India in the Kargil conflict and fought for several months in nearby Kashmir.

India has nuclear weapons detonated its first device in 1974. Pakistan detonated a fission device in 1998 and is believed to have numerous nuclear bombs now making it the only nuclear armed Muslim nation