Come Clean

Officers and non-commissioned officers in the Pakistani Army were jailed recently in response to reports of their suspected collusion with Al Qaeda and other extremist organizations. But allegations run deeper. A recent book claims that Pakistan's late Air Chief Marshal knew about and helped to plan Al Qaeda's attacks on the U.S. And of course, Pakistan did provide support to the Taliban before September 11. No doubt, there are always extreme elements in any military that can often be persuaded to question their initial allegiance. The worry, however, is the implication this has for the war on terror. If the US's principal partner in the war, Pakistan, is found to have widespread divisive elements in its military – precisely the one organization meant to maintain discipline – what can be said for the rest of the partnership? Furthermore, the fact that such information has come to light in the nation's newspapers opens the floodgates of speculation as to who really is in charge. Additionally, with such problems within its military ranks, can Pakistan ever be a reliable partner in the war on terror?