If the Taliban are on the verge of toppling Pakistan, what should we do?

[Onlooker]

When Ronald Reagan unleashed the Taliban on the world and Bush launched a weak effort to restrain them, little did most of us realize that the Taliban would become a threat to topple a nuclear power like Pakistan. At any rate, now the world may have a big, big problem on its hands.

Can we accept one of the most fascistic and oppressive religious cults crushing the rights of Pakistani women, gays, and others? Can we accept if these nuts have control over Pakistan's nuclear weapons?

But, what's Obama's best option? I don't think there's any good option.

[tekisui]

1. Destroy/Secure the nukes, nothing more.

[vaberella]

3. I love how easy you make that sound.

As though we have a full right to do what we please in a currently sovereign nation gone amok. Not to mention we really don't have the military to be able to expend like this.

[tekisui]

4. Well, I'd rather us not get involved in any way.

But, nukes falling into non-governmental organizations, without MAD as a prevention requires it. I wouldn't be surprised if US forces/agencies in Afghanistan already know and are monitoring where each of the nukes are, and are ready to go at a moments notice.

I wouldn't advocate going in at all if it is a military coup and the military maintain control, but if the country collapses completely or the Taliban take over, someone would have to secure the nukes, no question.

[Lilith Velkor]

6. Couple of points

How is MAD not a prevention? We have nukes, India has nukes, Israel has nukes, everybody they're pissed off at has nukes.

Also, a military coup does not mean we are out of the woods - 1/3 of Pakistan's military is Taliban.

[tekisui]

8. MAD doesn't necessarily prevent rouge elements from acting.

It could, but it isn't guaranteed, IMO, the same way nations facing each other was like USSR and US.

You are right about the military coup, but the military is who has them now, and they have thus far been secure. I would prefer them to not change hands at all.

[Adelante]

13. Agree nt

[masuki bance]

11. What gives us the right to decide who should or should not have nuclear?

You want us to be Israel and invade and bomb sovereign countries at the drop of a hat?

[tekisui]

14. Nuclear weapons are the world's business.

Who has them, and who is making them. I'd like to see them all dismantled, especially ours. But, nukes falling into the hands of non-governmental actors is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to us and the neighbors at risk.

I can guarantee you that the US is already protecting the nukes in Pakistan, and if the Pakistani military lost control of the nuke security, US forces would be there in a heartbeat. They may not be in uniform, but they would be there.

[vaberella]

2. I chose Other: I really don't know what to do. I'm lost as to the best decision.

There seems no chance for win anyway we look at it unfortunately.

[Peacetrain]

5. Here is the problem.. if the suicide bombers get the nukes, I have not a clue

what will happen. Their glory is in the afterlife, not in the here and now, that most government officials of most governments work in. I do not fear the Russians or Chinese or even the goofy North Koreans, but I am terrified of someone who is looking to death to be their success.

[Fleshdancer]

7. I voted for an International coalition....

...because I don't know how we continue without allowing other countries to get involved. I can only imagine what India is thinking right now.

[Uncle Joe]

9. Reinvade Iraq, maybe it will work this time. n/t

[JayMusgrove]

20. Right, ask George W what country we should invade THIS time!

So funny!

[andym]

10. If not stopped, this would be an American foreign policy disaster

If not stopped, this would not only be an American foreign policy disaster, it would also put the world in great danger.

Why?
1) Existing nuclear weapons
2) Existing nuclear power plants and nuclear material generation facilities
3) Existing missile technology
4) Existing scientific capacity to potentially develop other classes of weapons (biological, chemical)
4) Large country with considerable resources to wreak havoc in the region.

What could we do?
We would have no choice but try to stop it militarily hopefully with full world support (China, Russia etc).

How possible is this? Very possible, the Taliban have every reason to try and there are elements in Pakistan (parts of the ISI) that support them.

[rug]

12. Why are the Taliban or the Irani government any more likely to use nuclear weapons than anyone else?

[Hippo_Tron]

17. It's a question of regional stability more than usage

Iran and Israel have yet to demonstrate that they are willing to bare the costs of a full scale war between the two powers because thus far they have yet to fight each other. Unless Netanyahu is as crazy as he comes off (and I don't think he is) I don't think an Iranian nuclear arsenal will change this calculus. A war with Iran is just too costly for Israel and a war with Israel is too costly for Iran.

India and Pakistan, on the other hand, have shown that they were willing to expend blood and treasure over Kashmir and if the Taliban gets control of Pakistan and the nukes, the two powers will be expending a whole lot of blood and treasure.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. I'm not worried about Iranian nukes

The fear of the Iranians getting nukes is mostly propaganda from the usual quarters.

The Taliban, on the other hand, are medieval crazies.

[lunatica]

15. Absolutely take out the nuclear weapons

Wait! Can that even be done?

[rvablue]

16. Don't know if it's entirely up to us to decide. I don't think the Pakistanis have ICBMs so really

it will be a matter of what India decides to do.

And if the Taliban take over the silos, I think we pretty much know how the Indians will respond.

:scared:

[Hippo_Tron]

18. Not so simple, Pakistan has put a lot of resources into developing second strike capability

If India were to strike first based on the mere fact that the Taliban gains control of the silos, then they would need to eliminate every single nuke in one strike. Obviously Pakistan's nuclear capabilities are not completely transparent. But I'll bet that the US government has intelligence that Pakistan has more nukes than we think they do.

[xchrom]

19. the taliban are truly truly awful.

betond securing or destroying pakistans nukes -- do we let innocent people suffer needlessly?

there are millions of pakistanis who don't want to be ruled by the taliban.

there's a lot here to consider.