I believe the Afghan Nation has realised this reality and are now stands. The Afghan Nation is well aware that it is simply not possible without the help & assistance of the United States of America.

God Bless

Zazai

Thanks for writing. I think you have helped me understand the prize.
We need to win the Great Game, for one simple reason: So that no one else will.
By securing Afghanistan, we can help decrease violence in the entire region.
I know we abandoned you, after you defeated Russia. And our mistake led to 9/11.
Perhaps, this time, Afghanistan and America can, together, win the Game. For good.

- Rob

If a super power have controls over Afghanistan, it is easy to control Iran, Central Asia, Pakistan, South east Asia and of course the sleeping Dragon (China). Afghanistan has always in the history to have a pivitol Geo-Political presence, although it is a land lock country with mountains and less oil, but it has it’s importance in the region.

I am not saying the US & NATO are in Afghanistan to have the supremacy of playing the great game by controling all the surrounding countries & powers but being in Afghanistan in such a capacity automatically leads one to be involved in the great game regardless of making choices.

I understands as well as the entire world that the US & NATO is in Afghanistan because of the AQ & Taliban, I think to question that one might be just trying to create more arguments which would lead no where, but because Afghanistan has it’s importance in the region and it’s Geo-Political presence is as so that it would be hard to convince the regional powers to why the US & NATO is really in Afghanistan!

What is the prize?

Because if you look at cost-benefit analysis,
with the cost to play being so great,
and the competitors being so powerful,
the prize must be absolutely fantastic.

Or is the prize a secret?
And we won’t find out until we win?

- I can not say anything about the impacts on the other two, but obviousely this friendship and partnership with “Official” Pakistani government does not seems to be working effectively as we have not seen any firm steps yet been taken against the Quetta Shura, HIG (Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin Hekmatyar) Strongholds, Haqani Networks & the AQ top men to be arrested and handed over to the US & NATO.

- Even if Washington believes they have allied themselves with the right Pakistan, It is not working, when it’s not working then difinately there is a problem, without identifying the main problem it is useless to continue with the same strategy as it will go no where. Strategy for the region needs to be changed, better approcahes needs to be adopted and better tactics needs to be used.

Zazai

If this is true, then I ask the following:

- WHICH Pakistan has the US allied itself with? By dealing with the “official” government, do we also have the support of any of the other elements?
- Does our alliance with the “official” government make the any of the others our direct enemies?
- Based on the first two, have we allied ourselves with the right Pakistan for America and Afghanistan?

Chief Zazai

The bigger problem I see is that, to some degree anyway, ISI is attempting to hamstring the Pakistani Army’s efforts as they launch a new offensive. Of course, the Army can’t be blind to this, so the question is how effective they’ve become at working in an environment with the “visible” and “invisible” enemies?

But ultimately, what does the ISI have to gain from a Taliban force that destabilizes Afghanistan? Look at what it’s gotten them so far; the country is more threatened than ever and violence is on the rise. The Taliban aren’t a guard dog, they’re a rabid jackal. If ISI thinks they’re holding the chain, do they believe that they have possession of the dog, or does it have possession of them?

While Mahsoud, HIG, and the warlords in the NW Territories receive the notoriety of allying themselves with AQ-Taliban, the Marines in the south are seeing increased fighters and munitions coming into Afghanistan from Quetta side of the border. If the fight is indeed 50% Afghanistan and 50% Pakistan, then how do we succeed in Afghanistan when Mullah Omar is actively supported by the ISI, and condoned by both the Army and the Zardari government?

It would seem to me that with Omar responsible for much of the religious warriors invading Afghanistan daily, he’s someone whose presence must be addressed sooner rather than later if the US/NATO is to pacify either country.