69 million page views

Today Pakistan - From Whence the Next Enigma - The American Dilemma

Reader comment on item: U.S.-Pakistan Relations in Decline
in response to reader comment: The Pakistan Conundrum

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), May 10, 2011 at 12:11

I have read and heard so many times, "keeps your friends close; and your enemies closer." But what if you cannot discern the difference? This is not merely true for we here in America, but evidence shown last May 1st, there are some that have more to lose in this kind of predicament than us.

While it might be rightly said that an era is over, that a dark part of American history has broken out from under that dark cloud of September 11, 2001, we are merely in the eye of the hurricane. Before dealing with the aftermath, we need to get to the other side of the storm. We might be able to ride the eye for a while, but eventually the rest of the storm must be ridden out; or in a best case scenario, it sputters out. Given the intensity of the antipathies of much of the orient against the United States, it is not likely they are going away any time soon.

Some might say that there is closure, that we accomplished the will of the aftermath of September 11th, yet what we actually found out about that terrible day is that Osama bin Laden was not alone in his virulently vindictive attitude towards the United States; and the pain and anguish he managed to have wrought upon America was in no means accomplished but that he had willing partners to do his bidding. His accomplices were/are legion(many), and many others are accomplices by tacit implication. For all of that evil intent against America, we finally made sure that the rest of the global community that thought the U.S.A. deserved the destruction of the twin towers got to feel some of that pain as well. Is that vindictiveness? Think about it: to the extent that America needed to exact payment for an act of war against the civilian population, payment was finally extracted. But it is not over.

As such, America cannot relax in its vigilance, for as noted, bin Laden was not alone. Neither is his vendetta against things American extinguished. In the very place where he was able to hide in plain sight, the exact same feelings are manifest in a way that is not unmistakable. Do we think we have some sympathy left in Islamabad? Go back to the opener; the second sentence. Discernment is the key. One of the things needed to be understood is that bin Laden, for all of his islamically driven hatred for things American and the coincident sentiments of his host society, he was still an outsider. The sentiments of the remainder of the Islamic world remain the same, even if bin Laden's methodologies seared against the mores of a supposedly more civil society.

We might take a note from the war actions across the northern border of Pakistan and realize that we still fight against islamically driven hatred of the Taliban. We can contrast the actions of bin Laden's conducting warfare on a society by his planning and executing attacks on non-military objectives with the Taliban's efforts against the United States Military and derive one conclusion. Normally, the United States Military will plan to prevent collateral damage(not always easy to do-why is to be demonstrated shortly here) because in the meantime it has been shown that the residential population is used by the enemy combatants in a way that purposefully puts civilians in harm's way as a means of defense. Is that appropriate behavior? Go back to the opener; the second sentence… in this case, we even hear of collusion on the part of sympathetic partisans in the indigent population. How does the American military planner deal with that? Therein lays the basis for the conundrum.

America has been a land of opportunity, of freedoms and liberties not too many other places in this world have been able to enjoy, for a variety of reasons, political and otherwise. From that framework, it is sympathetically thought that people from all over seek those freedoms, even from countries that have less than sympathetic sentiments towards America. Muslims from around the world have been here for centuries, but it is only in the past few decades that we do see evidence of the intent to destroy the reason why millions came here for freedom, just so that the Islamically based mentality we see in the 'bin Ladens' can erase those freedoms for the sake of recalling former Islamic glory.

Therein lays the test, a litmus examination of what the world really seeks: American style freedom and liberties; or the promises of an oppressive society that must enforce its provisions upon unwilling populations that will be deprived of what America offered. Discern that; and then there will be an understanding of why the world cannot find it own form of peace: for it apparently cannot bear to allow America to export its greatest wealth, that of freedom and liberty for all.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (82) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
2No space for Pakistan on this website [122 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
B.N.GururajMay 18, 2011 00:27185322
Stepping Stones to a Greater Threat [277 words]M. ToveyMay 23, 2011 19:17185322
The Stick to Dance the Lion! [23 words]Mohammad Mansoor Ali AnsariOct 14, 2011 03:13185322
US PAKISTAN REALTIONS IN DECLINE [209 words]IsaacMay 15, 2011 04:29185210
Counterfeit Christians [229 words]kerusso alethesMay 12, 2011 15:21185148
1What the TRUTH of the WORD of the LORD Declares [554 words]M. ToveyMay 20, 2011 18:21185148
Truth versus Fiction [58 words]kerusso alethesMay 23, 2011 13:58185148
A Book of Human Logic Cannot Counter What Holy Spirit has Declared Truth by the Word of Jesus Christ. [24 words]M. ToveyMay 23, 2011 19:21185148
Hebrew Holy Bible Contains No Fiction [103 words]M. ToveyMay 24, 2011 19:23185148
Authenticity [319 words]kerusso alethesMay 26, 2011 15:37185148
Paul the Corrupter [174 words]kerusso alethesMay 27, 2011 13:16185148
Authenticity of Paul Provided By the Holy Spirit [871 words]M. ToveyMay 31, 2011 14:31185148
The parakletos and Paul? [456 words]kerusso alethesJun 2, 2011 12:40185148
Getting Scripture Right by the Words of Jesus Christ [292 words]M. ToveyJun 2, 2011 18:27185148
Jesus also taught: Salvation is Conditional. [181 words]kerusso alethesJun 6, 2011 08:38185148
More on the Upper Room Discourse - Jesus' Love is Unconditional - Salvation the Guarantee [976 words]M. ToveyJun 9, 2011 13:30185148
Without Paul — [185 words]kerusso alethesJun 10, 2011 14:55185148
One Gospel Only - To Be Preached To All the World - To Pakistan and Everywhere [830 words]M. ToveyJun 13, 2011 15:54185148
Confusion; the real enemy. [405 words]kerusso alethesJun 17, 2011 12:27185148
1Tooled Against Confusion - Ephesians 6:10-17 [636 words]M. ToveyJul 5, 2011 13:11185148
Hardy Hatred. [802 words]kerusso alethesJul 19, 2011 21:19185148
1Paul's Authentication Scripturally Sound - By His Demonstrated Love for Jesus Christ [779 words]M. ToveyJul 21, 2011 19:15185148
By thy words … [465 words]kerusso alethesJul 25, 2011 14:12185148
By the WORD of the LORD [230 words]M. ToveyJul 25, 2011 18:25185148
Pakistan and Terrorism [165 words]Frank LukeMay 10, 2011 21:28185088
1Declare Pakistan a 'Terrorist State" [189 words]kamekishMay 9, 2011 02:31185042
Containment of Pakistan? [60 words]Kepha HorMay 8, 2011 20:20185030
U.S.-Pakistan Relations in Decline - comment [17 words]richardMay 8, 2011 18:48185027
2Taliban will retake Afghanistan [156 words]Leonard MarkowitzMay 7, 2011 17:56185000
Perhaps, but... [69 words]Peter HerzMay 8, 2011 20:07185000
Pakistan and Afganistan and the USA [8 words]richardMay 10, 2011 01:46185000
Good [31 words]DiplomadMay 7, 2011 17:55184999
2The Pakistan Conundrum [143 words]Frank LukeMay 5, 2011 20:15184929
Time to recover the cost of terrorism from Pak Military [123 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 8, 2011 04:05184929
1Today Pakistan - From Whence the Next Enigma - The American Dilemma [821 words]M. ToveyMay 10, 2011 12:11184929
9Wishful Thinking [223 words]Shadi KatyalMay 5, 2011 10:04184912
5I agree, leaving any remnant of that helicopter was a grave error in judgement [70 words]saraMay 5, 2011 18:54184912
Good point [243 words]VijayMay 9, 2011 08:23184912
us pakistan relationson the decline [134 words]Isaac FlaksMay 5, 2011 09:48184911
1living with illusions [4 words]aniaMay 5, 2011 06:41184903
1Time for an American Awakening [133 words]Benjamin MedvedMay 5, 2011 00:42184894
The world community failed to detect OBL, Pakistan alone is not to be blamed. [176 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 8, 2011 04:40184894
U.S.-Pakistan Relations in Decline [11 words]SolMay 4, 2011 23:38184890
2Pakistan not allies [97 words]Lorenz GudeMay 4, 2011 23:10184889
For Bad over Good [41 words]Jay1May 4, 2011 22:03184887
1Priorities!!!!!!! [57 words]Susan SomervilleMay 4, 2011 21:23184884
2Pakistan-American Enemy [61 words]John WrightMay 4, 2011 21:07184882
there is difference [13 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 7, 2011 13:54184882
Now recover damages from Pakistan [307 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 7, 2011 14:09184882
1U.S. Pakistan Relations Decline...How could they not know? response to John Wright. [98 words]Anne- USAMay 9, 2011 13:31184882
1rue [5 words]richardMay 10, 2011 01:48184882
2What do they say in URDU. [123 words]batya daganMay 4, 2011 20:19184877
Now recover damages from Pakistan, stop Charity is not enogh. [431 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 7, 2011 14:29184877
1+I will never forget what they did to Mumbai. [122 words]batya daganMay 8, 2011 18:27184877
Reality check [82 words]Rebecca MouldsMay 4, 2011 20:10184876
All Pakistanis are enemy [30 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 7, 2011 14:05184876
1Contain Islam. [103 words]Charlie GriffithMay 4, 2011 20:09184875
Is it Religion or disease? [59 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 8, 2011 05:10184875
1We Indians should attack Pak ASAP and get all the terrorists [105 words]adam eveMay 4, 2011 19:43184874
2The Case For Pakistan [216 words]John in Michigan, USAMay 4, 2011 18:46184872
Russian Paranoia !!! [71 words]Carlos de SouzaMay 4, 2011 23:10184872
1Not paranoia, just skepticism [281 words]John in Michigan, USAMay 5, 2011 23:31184872
10The one thing that REALLY Scares the Pakistanis [106 words]Richard BenkinMay 4, 2011 18:20184870
3Kepp India out of this Pakistani quagmire. [71 words]KamathMay 5, 2011 08:56184870
Once upon a time [27 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 7, 2011 14:00184870
Pipe's comments [6 words]SydMay 4, 2011 18:17184869
1Diplomatic Quid Pro Quo [23 words]DavidMay 4, 2011 18:03184867
Majority of Pashtuns Already Disaffected - Why Does the US Still Try? How Many Megatons Does 4,5 Bil Buy? [62 words]M. ToveyMay 4, 2011 12:17184861
4Pakistan As Danger Zone [81 words]Virginia GentlemanMay 4, 2011 08:32184851
2SINK or SWIM [101 words]Carolina AngelMay 5, 2011 08:49184851
9Pakistan is our enemy and it should be declared as a terrorist state [116 words]dhimmi no moreMay 4, 2011 06:48184848
2But is that practical, dhimmi no more? [195 words]Aymenn Jawad Al-TamimiMay 7, 2011 12:46184848
Blame Game is national Game of Pakistan [124 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 7, 2011 14:34184848
What Muhammad did to Khaibar [230 words]TedMay 7, 2011 16:42184848
3Salvation history [742 words]dhimmi no moreMay 8, 2011 11:26184848
2Pakistan is a terrorist state [525 words]dhimmi no moreMay 9, 2011 06:21184848
1Q78:31-34 [338 words]dhimmi no moreJun 30, 2011 19:47184848
slight correction [20 words]dhimmi no moreJul 1, 2011 06:06184848
8Anything positive in Pakistan [169 words]TedMay 4, 2011 01:33184839
Now recover damages from Pakistan, stop Charity is not enogh. [17 words]Ravi Ranjan Singh Bharat PanthiMay 7, 2011 14:45184839
6Time for Truth [612 words]Fred BaehrMay 4, 2011 00:55184836
2Always [28 words]Michael SharpMay 3, 2011 23:41184833

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)