Meanwhile In Another Troubled Land

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 There is a serious war brewing between Turkey and Syria. Well actually Turkey has decided to wage another undeclared war on Syria. It remains to be seen what the Russians will do.
Another country that has already gone past the tipping point is Pakistan.  In Pakistan the Army still calls the shots. Pakistan has long been described as an Army with a country.
The Pakistani generals are very rich. Or were. They made billions of dollars from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979 until 1989. US arms and money for the Mujahedin (there was no Taliban at that time) were channelled through Pakistan where the Army took a big cut. The Pakistani Army helped the Afghans fight the Soviets who had invaded and occupied the Afghans.  
Then the golden harvest came during the US occupation of Afghanistan from 2001 until August 15th 2021. Twenty years of ripping off US Dollars. Only that for 20 years the Pakistani Army had to switch sides. They helped the Americans invade and occupy the Afghans.   A slight switching of roles.
The Afghans have not forgotten that little oversight. Along the way another monster called the Pakistani Taliban was created (by Pakistan) as a counterweight to "help them handle" the angrier Afghan Taliban. 
Now with the Americans having left Afghanistan in a hurry there are no more US Dollars to ripoff. The Pakistani Taliban (TTP or Tehreeki Taliban Pakistan) were left high and dry without money from their benefactor the Pakistani Army.
The TTP has kissed and made up with their cousins the Afghan Taliban who see that they can use the TTP to take Pushtun areas along the disputed Durand Line (the border with Pakistan).   There are 20 million Pakistani Pushtuns living along the border who may not all disagree with joining up with Afghanistan.
Then there is also opium. Afghanistan is also the world's largest producer of opium. The TTP and the Pakistani Army were also in the game but it looks like  the TTP now wants to keep their share of the business to themselves. 
The Pakistani government  is broke and the Pakistani Army too has insufficient funds to maintain a frontline fighting force. The TTP realise this too and they are launching an all out war against the Pakistani Army.  Here is a brief video. It is Indian so they are biased but you can listen carefully and listen between the lines as well. 




 
There is also even bigger trouble brewing. The Indian Minister of Defense (another nut) has said that India is in a position to take back POK or Pakistani Occupied Kashmir.
They can sense that Pakistan is in serious trouble and they are getting ideas.  If Pakistan implodes or breaks up it will be a mess for a long time.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
By Syed Akbar Ali 

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