Pakistan has long been a problem ally of America. We have pushed Pakistan away over its jihadi-friendly policies. China has been happy to work with Pakistan. Did Pakistan decide to help the Taliban take over Afghanistan and officially become our enemy?
The Biden phone call with Ghani raises issues of trying to bolster his domestic political interests, of course. Which Pelosi established is grounds for impeachment. But it also raises the question of Pakistan's role in the Taliban victory:
Ghani confirmed disaster was looming if he did not receive stepped-up American aid: "We are facing a full-scale invasion, composed of Taliban, full Pakistani planning and logistical support, and at least 10-15,000 international terrorists, predominantly Pakistanis thrown into this, so that dimension needs to be taken account of." Ghani also emphasized that continued air support was essential.
Ghani didn't get that air support. Or much of anything else in the Biden skedaddle debacle.
Pakistan created and sided with the Taliban until Bush 43 threatened Pakistan with consequences if its leaders didn't help us attack the Taliban regime which hosted al Qaeda before the 9/11 terror attacks on American soil.
That Pakistani switch to our side never fully took and always caused us problems in waging war in Afghanistan.
Under Biden, did Pakistan just go fully rogue state on us again to plan and supplement the Taliban offensive? The question is valid:
[The NATO secretary general] Mr Stoltenberg said “many questions” should be asked about whether Pakistan or its military had aided the Taliban’s efforts, as he said that the “special relationship” between the country and the Taliban “of course... is part of the story”.
I won't assume Ghani is accurate or that Stoltenberg is right to wonder. But his claim would be fully consistent with Pakistan's history. How widespread was this?
Another revival [from 2001 in 2021] is the use of Pakistani soldiers disguised as Taliban fighters. In the last few years more Pakistanis, usually Pakistani Pushtuns, have been found among the dead. These Pakistanis often carried their Pakistani IDs with them because they knew that their bodies were likely to be returned to Pakistan for burial if the Afghan security forces or local militias knew where they came from. The NRF [the National Resistance Front, the current resistance] is reporting more of this, in addition to non-Pushtun Pakistanis (Punjabi and Sindi soldiers) passing as Taliban.
And did China, an enemy of America and Pakistan's new friend, have a role?
Pakistan has nukes along with dangerous jihadi tendencies. So we've got that going for us. Which is far from nice.
