An Hour Away

Being so caught up on loot and the current economic crisis I am often forgetful of the importance of being informed on a worldly stage. But I was just reminded of this. I mean I was asked to write an essay by this news weekly in Atlanta on Obama and his trip to the Summit of the Americas this past week, so I did. Sure I burst open a few GOP perspectives and nonsensical projections, but overall, I was only reminded that Mr. President has big problems and needs to step his game up.

We still have major problems in Afghanistan and especially its neighbor Pakistan. It seems that The Taliban is advancing more and more each day. Not only in the ability to run the courts in feudal courts in both of the nation states above, but all so in their ability to influence the local inhabitants and occupy more territory. They are all over the Swat Valley in Pakistan and looking as if they are becoming entrenched in the area northwest of the capital

How much are they in control? Well let us just say they are patrolling the roads military style and broadcasting messages on loud speakers throughout the area. Which tell me that the so called peace effort offered by the new government has no weight and will likely fail? And this is just a week after the Pakistan's president signed off on the peace pact. The Swat Valley has seen some of the heaviest fighting between the Taliban and security forces over the past year. But it also seems that the new government’s agreement to impose Islamic law in Malakand in an effort to end the fighting with the Taliban may back fire. It is hard to know what is true and fact however, they do this in Pakistan but in Afghanistan, the Taliban denied they were holding peace talks with the government and continue to be able to conduct “high-profile attacks” even as US troop strength continue to grow.

I know Obama understand that Pakistan is a major problem with what we confront in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he may get his wish and have troops up in that camp before we can say another US bank has failed. For the Taliban is now in control of another district in the country's northwest just 70 miles from the capital. They have also banned music and television and stopped women from entering into a popular shrine of a Muslim saint.
The Taliban has placed the ball in our court now and I wonder what the President will do or plans to do for I have not heard in detailed plans to deal with Pakistan in concert with the Taliban. I just hope he don’t wait until the last minute like Bush 43 or until the government is over thrown and the Taliban running thangs up in that camp. They way I see it, now the Taliban is only an hour away from the capital, and if history is correct, they aint got no problem with taking over and ousting a sitting government.