Pakistan and IEDs

You know those pesky explosive devises that have ripped humans to shreds, demolished cars and except for mine fields, probably the most demonic weapons in war that has been devised. According to Navy Capt. Douglas Borrebach, deputy director for resources and requirements at the Pentagon's Joint IED Defeat Organization, 80% of these devises are made with ammonium calcium nitrate (fertilizer) produced in Pakistan.

Not only was Pakistan harboring Osama be Ladin, but now we find out the boarder between Pakistan and Afghanistan is practically non-existent. Of course we knew that, didn't we? The sad thing is the U.S. doesn't seem to care because $5 billion (yes, that's with a B) is still pouring into the country that has one hand out palm up and the other hand behind its back with fingers crossed (did I see a political cartoon like that?). It isn't funny.

I'm as incensed about that today as I was about our President speaking in Egypt back in 2009. Things haven't gotten any better. We still see this slight of hand trick, scrabbling around trying to keep the right hand knowing what the left hand is doing. The truly sad thing is, I'm beginning to think no one really cares what's good for the country, but only about their own agenda.

Not only did Pakistan harbor the most wanted man in the world, but their intelligence agency has been linked to various extremests throughout the countryside. Now, we sit on our thumbs wondering "What went wrong?" all the while India is shrugging, saying, "I told you so!" 

Although we have proven that we're going to do what we say we're going to do, hang the cost and double the ammunition, we're at a point where we need to be smart rather than a bully. Economic sanctions have proven effective in the past, the stability of that region is fragile to say the least. Cutting off the flow of U.S. dollars pouring in may or may not do what we want. However, reducing that flow will certainly make the Pakistanis reconsider, of course I'm no expert on the region. It's just that where greed abounds, money talks louder than any gun.