I think - - anyway, Mr. Hitchens is alluding to the fact the Taliban is as much a creature of the Pakistanis as it is the Afghani.

The bottom line is Pakistan must either change or be changed, or we must abandon our ambitions relative to Afghanistan.

I believe though, a Taliban rerun of Afghanistan, with al-Qeada operating under its umbrella again, would have far reaching international consequences felt from Chechnya to Islamabad to Tehran, to say nothing of giving radical Islam a political victory.

Unfortunately, we cannot act unilaterally in Pakistan, and it also seems we can less maniputate internal affairs there as well - - having squandered that opportunity earlier by the present administration's untimely advance into Iraq, while blindly turning over matters to the Pakistani Army, and intelligence service.

One thing is for sure: the United States is indeed on a collision course with Pakistan, and needs a cohesive plan to deal with them - - anyone know if the snows will be early this year in the Kush? : - |

Yes my dear Tyrtaios, it seems now, no one knows who is fighting whom and for what purpose. The list of groups is daunting in FTA alone. We have Qaeda, Afghan Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Islam and leaders like Sufi Mohammad, and Baitullah Mehsud to name a few!

Pehaps another poster on this article is correct. We would be better off making deals with the tribal leaders, save one caveat: Qaeda must be eliminated. But we both know that will never happen, and the Taliban now may have limited designs inside Pakistan proper as well, though with the Pakistan Army and their intelligence service's approval only?

And you know very well the snows come at the same time every year to the Hindu Kush - - though it seems there is drought and it could be a drier year to come, which will only create more recruits for the Taliban, as the Karzai government is mired in so much red tape, and corruption, and agrarian assisstance is slow in coming.

I might add, the United States must do more to mediate the Kashmir problem between India and Pakistan, as it is a rallying cry similiar to the Israeli - Palestinian issue for militant Islamists.

Well, my white knight, I must get back to my students. : - )

I'm not sure Pakistan CAN effectively bring the Pashtun areas under control. And I'm cynical enough about the political mind to doubt that their new PM would think of giving the Pashtun their independence (whether they want it or not) and telling the Pashtun in the Army and ISI to decide where there loyalties are:P