Critical Triangle continues....

Pakistan had seen the writing on the wall and, given that its initial gambit of protecting its interests in Afghanistan had failed, moved to protect the “Kashmir Cause.” On 7 October, the US attack on Afghanistan started in earnest with TV footage of US B-1bombers attacking Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad being broadcast on CNN. Rapidly the tide of the war was turned on the ground. Given the fact that there were few ground targets to hit, the clearest indicator of the Taliban’s desperation came on 14 October when they offered to hand over bin Laden subject to certain caveats and conditionalities. Seeing jihadists as a controllable, directable force, Pakistan initiated a policy of “warehousing some extremists and leaving others untouched.”
Militant groups would be banned only to re-emerge under different names. Similarly arrested jihadi leaders would be released citing a lack of evidence.

However, one conclusion was inescapable. In acceding to US demands, Pakistan had lost considerable freedom of action. The use of jihadi proxies was the only tool it had in the face of a subcontinental nuclear stalemate of ever having a chance to change the status quo.

To be continued.....