Is the US about to cut all economic/military help to Pakistan for playing the “field” just as we have just begun to do with Egypt? How deep does the bribe money go – PB/TK
Why Trump Is Right to Get Tough With Pakistan – By Zalmay Khalilzad / Aug 23 2017
President Trump deserves high marks for his new Afghanistan strategy. It is bold, reasoned and offers the prospect of success against the violent Islamist groups of the region. But it will also face opposition in the region. The president will have to show an unflagging commitment to the cause and be prepared to respond to moves by adversaries to disrupt his plan.
The deliberative process worked well to arrive at this strategy. The administration reviewed American interests and objectives broadly, and all the key agencies participated effectively. The president’s admission that he changed his mind and shifted away from a rapid withdrawal is a sign of his seriousness of purpose and thoroughness of the review.
Mr. Trump is now the third successive president to acknowledge America’s important national security interests in Afghanistan and the region, which include the threat of Islamist extremism and terrorism, even the potential for nuclear terrorism. He recognizes that abandoning Afghanistan would allow safe havens for international terrorist organizations to emerge once more.
The new strategy is not only comprehensive but also a major evolution in American policy. Though he did not specify numbers, the president indicated that he will deploy a surge of United States forces, without any timeline for their withdrawal – the error of the Obama administration.
Continue to nytimes.com article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/23/opinion/trump-afghanistan-pakistan-strategy.html?ref=opinion
