Originally Posted by
Lastdingo
Actually, I don't think it's a grand strategy. Grand strategy should involve much more, this one is just a strategy of how to deal with a specific foe.
It's furthermore very unilateral and -I'm sorry- quite simplistic in some regards. Isolating yourself from some states won't help much.
Musharraf probably needs some intelligence service's aid to keep himself in power in his domestic struggles with Islamists. You don't want Islamists to take over the nuclear power Pakestan, don't you? So it would be more wise to keep him in power and not to cut all ties.
Quite the same applies to Saudi-Arabia, although on a lesser scale.
And what did you mean with spoiling attacks?
Attacking enemies everwhere with bombs or commandos would often violate other nation's sovereignty and I believe it's understandable that this does not help. Imagine Some third world coutnry killing dissidents in the USA - that would certainly upset some people...
Islamists aren't a solic bloc, but a huge crowd that communicats with each other but co-ordinates largely through what their ideology allos or not (afaik). So it would be a possible strategy to reduce the level of threat by spreading disunity and let factions oppose each other. Other than islamist factios could be strengthened (not so much with compromising direct aid, but otherwise) in important regions. National leaders and faction could be allowed to humiliate the west on some occasions to strengthen them in comparison to Islamists.
What you propose is a slightly isolationist policy with some offensive actions that do not involve large contingents abroad. It sounds a lot like a collection of "that will make us feel better" measures.
Nevertheless, it could evolve into something that would convince me if this strategy would include more co-operation with partners and more specifically tailored solutions to specific problems.
Bookmarks