AQ needs to pick the biggest fight possible

WORLD NEWS: "U.S. Commander Says Pakistan Is New Focus of al Qaeda's Efforts," by Yochi J. Dreazen, Wall Street Journal, 26 November 2008.

Prescient piece of analysis from Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Conway, who says Iraq is now rear-guard for al Qaeda, and that Pakistan is the new central front.

Conway's analysis reflects the Joint Chiefs' growing pessimism on Afghanistan, where you have to remember, we've been at it for seven long years.

The thing is, the more we stabilize Afghanistan, the more likely we are to destabilize Pakistan, yes? I mean, SOCOM (special operations command) has been driven to the point of launching its own strikes into Pakistan because we've come to the conclusion that the Pakistani government simply refuses or is incapable of taking on the Taliban and others in the FATA (federally administered tribal areas). I'm betting on "incapable," since Islamabad has basically acquiesced on the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) strikes on al Qaeda targets there.

Comments

[Louis Heberlein]

Key factor for victory in complex struggles ... getting bad guys to fight you where and when it is best (at least better) for you. IW is a factor in that strategy ... still improving.