Morphing Threats

9/11 triggered a US response that has had, and continues to have, far reaching consequences. The response was not a knee jerk reaction but was a carefully thought out strategy for total or full spectrum dominance that has been a consistent US ambition. 9/11 provided the excuse and became the trigger though there is still debate on whether a full scale ‘war’ was really required to be declared. From Afghanistan, the first response target, the US turned to invade Iraq on the basis of intelligence about an Iraqi nuclear capability—the intelligence turned out to be flawed. More than a decade and a half later the US is still in both the Middle East and Afghanistan having spent trillions of dollars and caused the death and crippling of millions of men, women and children. The Middle East is in chaos. Afghanistan continues to be threatened. Iran and North Korea have reassessed their security. IS or Daesh has emerged and spread and there are indications of Al-Qaeda rejuvenation. New threats are emerging and Pakistan is getting the blowback.

Almost half of Afghanistan is under the control of the Afghan Taliban that tolerate the presence of an assortment of militant and terrorist outfits in spaces where the Afghan government has no presence and where the opium production is at all-time high. Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya are in ruins. Saddam and Gaddafi have gone but Assad is still there and likely to stay. The Islamic State that emerged as a result of US policies may have been vanquished but is alive and relocating to Afghanistan with assets spread all over the world. Israel, a US ally and massive aid beneficiary is, and should be, applauding all that the US has done and encouraging it to do more. A new situation is emerging and some cobwebs that obscured intentions are getting cleared away. Iran and Saudi Arabia are squaring off for conflict. Pakistan has to consider the impact on the regional situation.
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