Obama came to power, however, promising to exert brawn in Afghanistan rather than Iraq. Even his harshest Republican critics, including former US vice president Dick Cheney, have applauded his recent military “surge.” Admiral Mike Mullen, the US joint chief of staff, admitted that intensified action in Afghanistan could push the Taliban deeper into Pakistan, further destabilizing the country. Whether Obama, who is probably aware of the dangers of turning the Taliban into Pakistan’s Khmer Rouge, can break out of his hard-line posture remains to be seen.
Pankaj Mishra is author of Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tibet.
RSS