Caught In The Pinchers

Following up on my post from last week about the Taliban moving to take control of much of South Western Afghanistan, the Globe and Mail is now reporting that the Taliban, along with other warlords, is also moving to take over the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, which contains the border city of Peshawar. 

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN — Security around Peshawar, the provincial capital in northwest Pakistan, has been dramatically stepped up amid fears that the city could fall to heavily armed Islamic militants who have now massed around its outskirts.

From three sides, Peshawar, which borders Pakistan's wild tribal belt, is menaced by Taliban groups and other warlords.

If Peshawar is taken over by extremists, the rest of the North West Frontier Province is also threatened, raising the possibility that religious fundamentalists may gain control of a state on Afghanistan's border. The drama in Peshawar reinforces existing doubts about the new Pakistani government's policy of pulling back the army and seeking peace deals with militants.

If successful, the Taliban would be in the perfect position to threaten Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.  And there doesn't seem to be anything Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO forces can do to stop them. Notice on this map the locations of Kandahar, Peshawar and Kabul: 


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We are going to pay for this lack of focus sometime in the future, and it will all be George Bush's fault. If Afghanistan falls into Taliban hands once again let's not forget that it was John McCain who has completely supported everything Bush has done the past 6 years. So McCain will just continue doing what Bush has been doing. Just remember that while he's on the campaign trail bleating about his "national security bona fides."

Gen. Wesley Clark was right: climbing into a jet fighter, getting shot down, and being taken prisoner does not qualify John McSame to be commander-in-chief.