Stuck in the Middle

We need to "internationalize" the conflict in Kashmir, something India is dead set against.

A leaked trove of secret military reports from Afghanistan say that many believe Pakistan's spy service has been aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's main concern is India. They use the Taliban in Afghanistan to fight Indian influence there, just as they employ Muslim extremists to fight India in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Pakistan has been fighting the Pakistani Taliban in Swat valley and Waziristan, partly as a result of the U.S. giving them $1 billion a year in aid (certainly India does not like all of this aid, some which is probably diverted to be used against India.) And with U.S. troops to begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in a year, no doubt Pakistan will have second thoughts about fighting extremists who can be used against India.

The conflict in Kashmir needs to be internationalized in order to end the conflict between India and Pakistan. Once Pakistan no longer sees India as a threat, it will no longer need Muslim extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan to use against India. This may sound like a pipe dream but it's what needs to be done. Otherwise what will happen is that once we pull out of Afghanistan, the Taliban will take over again with Pakistan's help - as they did after they beat the Soviets with money and arms supplied by us through Pakistan's spy service, the ISI. And once the Taliban have control, they'll allow terroist havens in their war-torn country as they did before 9/11.