These lawless lands are fertile ground to corrupt for whomever happens to be able to bend the local populace to their will, whether it be via money from the uncontrolled drug trade, arms dealing, or even through misguided religious fervor spread amongst those who have been denied education through generations of neglect or apathy. Pakistan apparently is either unable or (more likely) unwilling to bring any semblance of a rule of law to these areas. Given the state of affairs, would not the logical course of action for anyone threatened by this lawlessness be to take the matter into their own hands?

Afghans are impotent to secure their own borders, the U.S. still fears the resurgence of Islamic extremism in this breeding ground of unrest. The net result, the U.S. will act in its best interest. Pakistan runs the knife’s edge choice of covertly supporting the Taliban to threaten Afghan stability, while overtly trying to appease the west with tough talk against terrorist enclaves.

The U.S. can only tolerate the inaction of Pakistan for so long. At some point a breaking point is reached. Most in the U.S. see the Iraq foray as a terrible mistake, these same people however, view the erradication of the Taliban to be a noble cause. The images of 911 are still very vivid to the people of the US, the legacy of those responsible rests with those huddled in the tribal outlands of Pakistan.

Eventually, the US will tire of Pakistan tolerance of those factions. When that happens, if the Pakistan “paramilitary units” try to stand between the U.S. Special Forces and the Taliban, I would not want to be amongst them …

… sooner or later Pakistan will either need to clean up its own mess, or it will be cleaned up for them.

Introspection? In what respect, specifically?