Program Note: Tune in tonight to hear more about the situation in Pakistan on AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.
Fareed Zakaria
CNN Analyst
Taliban militants, who implemented Islamic law in Pakistan's violence-plagued Swat Valley last week, have now taken control of a neighboring district 60 miles (less than 100 kilometers) from the capital, Islamabad.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned this week that Pakistan is in danger of falling into terrorist hands because of failed government policies and called on Pakistani citizens and expatriates to voice more concern.
"I don't hear that kind of outrage and concern coming from enough people that would reverberate back within the highest echelons of the civilian and military leadership of Pakistan," she said.
CNN spoke with Fareed Zakaria about the situation in Pakistan.
CNN: Last week, on your show "Fareed Zakaria GPS" and in this Q&A, you warned about the precarious situation that Pakistan was in. How much worse has it gotten in one week's time?
Zakaria: Much worse. Last week, the Taliban had secured their position in the Swat Valley, some 100 miles away from the Pakistani federal capital of Islamabad. This week they have infiltrated and taken control of the Buner district, which puts them just around 60 miles away from the capital. They are moving ever closer to the center of power in Pakistan, and that's a very dangerous thing.
CNN: Beyond their proximity to the capital, what makes this such a dire situation?
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Pakistani Government and Military do not need more sophisticated weapons than Taliban has. They need a strong determination to stop conversion of Pakistan to Talibanistan.
Why isn't the Muslim world as a whole unite on a mission to take those radical bastards out?? Are they not enraged that their precious Koran is being used to fund hate and intolerance, not to mention the innocent boys and women who have this miserable life FORCED on them? And why aren't these women taking their young sons and fleeing? What is being done for them?
Whats the difference between the Taliban and the Mexican drug cartels? Nothing, terror is terror.
Fareed,
I love your columns in Newsweek... one thing not mentioned in your piece with Anderson is the support and sympathy that the Taliban enjoys within ISI. Am I right? This would seem to be a huge impediment in getting anything done if they know what's coming and when.
I cannot believe it's gotten this far. I would imagine that if the Taliban take hold, then the US, Israel and India will have no choice – kabooom.
Anything is better then these fanatics taking over a nuclear-armed country. The Taliban, as well as other extremist religious Islamic fanatics, have no reason for existence on this planet. They are pure evil. They have no respect for others, they murder, rape, and maim for reasons that are aborrent and totally unbelievable – in Darfur, for example, and yet poor old Israel gets villified. All we ever do is suck up to them. Well no more. People are starting to get really, really fed up with this stupid political correctness. Just dug a bigger hole because of it. It's time to go after them. Enough.
Pakistan military has done nothing to even stop Taliban radio transmitting at fixed time on known frequency. Compare this to level of sophistication that Mumbai terrorists used to communicate with their handlers in Pakistan and it is obvious that Pakistan army is still playing games and lacks the will (not the ability) to combat Taliban. There are many reasons for the unwillingness: 1) Taliban can, will, and do fight for Pakistan military interests outside Pakistan i.e. in Afghanistan and India. 2) Pakistan military themselves believe in Sharia 3) Pakistan wants to keep Taliban alive for money and equipment. How significant is a billion dollar a year in hard currency? Pakistan military's yearly budget for purchasing arms is a billion dollars a year! 4) Pakistan military dream of doing a USSR on America. They see a world with China as a super power and America cut to size. They aren't stupid you see, they are doing playing to their game plan.
for this new type of warfare, we are going to need soldiers who have the skills and capabilites to connect with the public and provide conflict resolution. The gun is true power, but it doesn't change people's hearts and minds. If we are going to contemplate putting boots on the ground in Pakistan, ALL our soldiers need to be trained in different cultures, simple indigenous language, sociology, psychology, and probably most important – different religions. As Zakaria said, many of these Taliban fighters can be swayed away from the extremists. I think the way to control this situation is to first show military force (preferably Pakistani, but atleast having Pakistani support), then inundate the areas with conflict resolution specialists and various economic aid.
Fareed has not been candid.
He is correct that Pakistan's army has been obsessed with fighting a conventional or a proxy war against India.
However, he chooses to ignore the fact that the Pakistani army & it's Intelligence Services (ISI) are infiltrated by Islamic radicals, who would choose not to fight fellow Muslims. It is the same Pakistani army that mentored the Taliban!
To paraphrase the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, "Pakistan's Chickens have come home to roost".
Unfortunately, being a nuclear armed state, it is a concern for everyone everywhere!
The Pakistan Army does not want to fight the Taliban. It’s strategic is based on using those maniacs in the future against India. So it will play a delicate balancing with the Taliban. Feed the animal just enough- but not too much.
Like Iran during the 70's, Pakistan is ripe for revolution, armed with an array of nuclear warheads, and just like in the 70's when Carter chose to ignore the danger our own leadership continues to turn a blind eye to the growing threat evolving in the middle east as it is nearing a very critical point.
It would be wise to circle the wagons here at home and prepare for the invasion and terror from the jihad against the western world. This is a very serious threat and just like before 9/11 people do not seem to concerned and it is when we fail to look into dark corners that danger leaps out to strike.
Fareed Salaam,
I was surprised to see that how much CNN is worried about the new Talibanization in Pakistan and no Pakistani channel is doing that. Sharia Law is used in most of the Middle eastern countries so why shall not have that in Pakistan. Every Muslim should support this Law. I think the day we shook hands with the Talibans there has been so much peace in all over Pakistan and Pakistanis are enjoying that peace and United States is now trying to create more tensions in Pakistan and every Pakistani is witnessing that. We are not going to fight with the Talibans for the sake of the American troops anymore because Pakistan and its Sovereignty is important to us.
So now we know where all the Taliban are? So why don't we go in and take them out? This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. We spend billons of dollars of U.S. Tax payer money on Pakistain to help counter the Taliban and now there 60 miles from the Capital? Why haven't people been fired from there jobs? If you don't do your job you should be let go right? All that money and the Pakistan government just let them move in. We are in a world of hurt and it will only get worse.
Talk---I think the time for talking is over-–let them gather-–and let the "air drones" perform their function--Kaboom!--US law!
If they can't deal with the Taliban themselves, I doubt very much that direct intervention by us would do any good. Just the opposite, it would probably provoke a huge backlash against the West. We should provide assistance to them, especially economic aid, but in the end, it's their country and no one can fight their war for them.
If worse comes to worse, we' ve had to live a long time with hostile countries that had nuclear weapons, and everyone over the age of three knows that actually using one would be very self-destructive.
Thank you for the coverage on this story. I look forward to the broadcast tonight.