Family Security Matters » Publications » The Taliban’s “AfPak” Strategy: A Jihadi Preemptive War

Family Security Matters » Publications » The Taliban’s “AfPak” Strategy: A Jihadi Preemptive War: "As the U.S. administration and its allies are devising a new strategy for the next steps in Afghanistan, the Jihadists have already begun their next move — but this time it’s inside Pakistan. As I’ve written over the past few months, we need to look at Afghanistan, Pakistan and India as one regional battlefield where the “other side” is coordinating strategically, acting methodically and for sure beating the international coalition in speed. If Washington and its allies fail to see the big picture in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda, which unfortunately may be the case now, the rapidly deteriorating situation will soon exceed the northwestern provinces of Pakistan to spill over to both Afghanistan and India, if not beyond. That’s how I suggest “reading” the recent worrisome leaps achieved by the Taliban from the SWAT valley into the neighboring district of Buner. So what’s the story? And why should we consider it as a crossing of the red line?"