Pakistan knew about Bin Laden hideout: Panetta

[Ali_Syed]

Re: Pakistan knew about Bin Laden hideout: Panetta

@Doppleganger

Now, i am no way in favor of how we conducted the whole “afghan bhai” refugees, but fighting the war was a necessity in the sense that we would be in a strategic nightmare if there ever was a war with india with Soviets sitting in afghanistan. I believe the soviets had asked permission in 1965 to fly over afghanistan, but zahir shah had refused it. Ultimately, Pakistan should not want any superpower in afghanistan, but instead get its act together so afghanistan can’t resist the economic might of Pakistan like how iran, syria and iraq can’t resist Turkey’s economic clout.

That was the strategic calculation that our military planners made (which are never correct by the way) at that time. If instead of going to war inside Afghanistan they had tried to mend their relationship with Russia that would have been much better. They had enemies in the East (India) and West (Afghanistan) and with Russia sitting inside Afghanistan they might be feeling more insecure.

We are still feeling the long term consequences of siding with the Americans in 1979. At that time the cold war between US and USSR was going on, and Afghanistan was one of the theatres in which Pakistan willingly became their pawn to the detriment of the whole country. If you see our downfall (economic and society) started after 1979.