Word: tribalization
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...contents of the document that will brief the next President says it warns that Pakistan has "no money, no energy, no government". Washington's primary concern remains al-Qaeda, which John Kringen, the CIA's director for intelligence, recently described as being "resurgent" and "well-settled" in Pakistan's tribal areas. But the presence of Bin Laden's group is enabled by an indigenous militant insurgency - the Pakistan Taliban - and Pakistani leaders remain divided over how to respond to this challenge...
...negotiating with the Taliban: This is one useful lesson that is applicable from Iraq. The Sunni awakening changed the dynamic in Iraq fundamentally. It could not have occurred unless there were some contacts and intermediaries to peel off those who are tribal leaders, regional leaders, Sunni nationalists, from a more radical, messianic brand of insurgency. Whether there are those same opportunities in Afghanistan I think should be explored...
...military leaders have long grumbled that Islamabad's commitment to fighting extremism was ambiguous at best - and duplicitous at worst. The new post-Musharraf government says it is serious about the fight, and offers as proof its two-month long military offensive in Bajaur, the northernmost chunk of the tribal belt. But, say Pakistani officials, U.S. incursions over the past two months, including an incident on Sept. 25 in which two U.S. helicopters and Pakistani soldiers in a border post engaged each other in a five-minute-long firefight, are alienating the Pakistani people and cramping Pakistan's ability...
...Trainees are scrutinized for corrupt tendencies and tribal prejudices that would prevent them from applying the law equally. Still, fewer than 5% fail to pass; a small number considering the levels of criminality that plague Afghanistan's police corps. Khodaydad blames the system more than individuals, and believes that the training, combined with enforcement, will go a long way towards curing the disease. "The men know right from wrong, but they get used to corruption, so it seems normal to them to steal at checkpoints. If their commanders are not telling them to steal, they...
...exchange reserves at a rate of $1 billion a month and the country risks defaulting on debt repayment loans. These fiscal headaches have been compounded by a flare-up in tensions with its most vital ally, the U.S., which recently launched raids against terrorist targets in Pakistan's remote tribal areas without notifying Islamabad - actions that have triggered a firestorm of protest and clouded relations with Washington...