- Columns - Current and Archives
- Looking Back by Jack Lebo - February 2012 >
- Murphy's Law - July 2013>
- Murphy's Law - May 2013
- Murphy's Law - April 2013
- Murphy's Law - March 2013
- Murphy's Law - February 2013
- Murphy's Law - January 2013
- Murphy's Law - December 2012
- Murphy's Law - November 2012
- Murphy's Law - October 2012
- Murphy's Law - September 2012
- Murphy's Law - August 2012
- Murphy's Law - July 2012
- Murphy's Law - June 2012
- Murphy's Law - May 2012
- Murphy's Law - April 2012
- Murphy's Law - March 2012
- Murphy's Law - February 2012
- Murphy's Law - January 2012
- Murphy's Law - December 2011
- Murphy's Law - November 2011
- Murphy's Law - October 2011
- Murphy's Law - September 2011
- Murphy's Law - August 2011
- Murphy's Law - July 2011
- Murphy's Law - June 2011
- Murphy's Law - May 2011
- Your Money Matters by Thomas Sottile - February 2013>
- Taking Care by Lisa Petsche - May 2013>
- Taking Care - April 2013
- Taking Care - March 2013
- Taking Care - February 2013
- Taking Care - January 2013
- Taking Care - December 2012
- Taking Care - November 2012
- Taking Care - October 2012
- Taking Care - September 2012
- Taking Care - August 2012
- Taking Care - July 2012
- Taking Care - June 2012
- Taking Care - May 2012
- Travel Articles
- There's Much To Like About Tybee Island, Georgia
- PA’s Little Town Of Bethlehem Has Giant History, Pleasant Surprises
- Savannah Style: History, Food, Architecture And Even Ghosts
- Vacationing Beats Back Winter
- Visiting The Inn At Pocono Manor
- Delights of Northern Ireland
- Tuscana Resort near Orlando
- Belfast To Commemorate Titanic
- Protect Your Home While Vacationing
- Nearby Hampton Roads, Virginia
- New 'Heritage' Travel Division Formed
- Lifestyle Articles
- PAE-300 ‘Personal Audio Enhancer’ Brings New Sounds And Clarity To Television
- Seniors Desire To Stay In Home Has Led To Innovative Housing
- ‘Pleasantly Plump’ May Not Pose Serious Health Problems After All
- Spring Hills Brings Home Care, Assisted Living to S. Jersey
- Sense Of Family Obligation Remains Strong
- Becoming Bilingual Thought To Delay Onset Of Cognitive Impairment
- Comprehensive Study Provides Foundation For ‘New American Diet’
- Is Alzheimer's A Myth?
- Living Alone, Without Loneliness
- Chocolate In Moderation
- Expert: Forgiveness, Gratitude Are Essential For Healthy Aging
- Expert: No Limit To Length Of Life
- Media-Based Pennsylvania Veterans Museum Is Historic Treasure
- Joint Task: Take Action To Combat Knee Pain
- Want Better Performance From Portfolio? Watch Congress
- Conscientiousness Key To Longevity
- Men, Women 'Retire' Differently
- Sleep Problems And Cognitive Issues
- Newsworthy
- Binge Drinking Is A National Problem — Even With Senior Citizens
- Study Warns Of High Cardiovascular Disease Risks Of Eating Yolks
- Study: 'Old' People Smell Better
- Depression, Anxiety Are Key Factors In Impact Of Parkinson’s Disease
- Study: Don’t Worry, Be Happy For Better Cardiovascular Health
- ‘Chore Connection’ Provides Unique Services, Volunteer Opportunities
- Study Reinforces Benefits Of Regular Colonoscopies
- Study: 'Senior Moments' Begin Earlier
- Three New Studies Suggest Aspirin May Prevent Some Cancers
- No Sure Bet: Seniors Must Recognize Potential Gambling Problems
- Coping With Grief
- New Recommendation Creates Debate Over Prostate Screening
- High Salt, Low Potassium Diet Linked To Increased Death Risk
- Medical Director At HCR ManorCare Receives APPLE Award
- RomneyCare Awful Lot Like Obamacare
- Grandkids Safer With Gram/Pop At Wheel
- AARP: Recession Hits Seniors Hard
- Antidepressants Can Increase Danger of Falling
- Poll: Low Marks For U.S. Healthcare
- More Good News For Coffee Drinkers
- Book Reviews
- We The People
- The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
- The Love Of My Youth
- The American Way Of Eating
- ‘Rin Tin Tin’
- Pity The Billionaire
- Classic: Uncle Tom's Cabin
- A Stocking Full Of New Christmas Novels
- When China Rules The World
- The Submission - Amy Waldman
- My Soul's Been Psychedelicized
- Reckless Endangerment
- O'Nan's 'Emily Alone'
- Baseball In The Garden Of Eden
- Leisure / Entertainment
- Music - Donald Fagen's 'Eminent Hipster,' Jimi Hendrix Release
- Music - Two CD-Set Features Elvis In Hawaii; Eric Burdon Has New Release
- Music - Billy Joel's 'Love Songs' Set For Release
- Music - Paul Anka Shows Off His Versatility With Compilation CD Of ‘Duets’
- Music - Elvis, Otis Redding Fans Treated To Compilation Sets
- Music - Even At Age 80, Willie Nelson Flaunts Staying Power With Duets Album
- Music - New 63-CD Set Spans Much Of Johnny Cash's Career
- Music - Preservation Jazz Hall Band Celebrates Anniversary
- Music - New Releases Spotlight Garfunkel, Los Lobos
- Music - Television Pioneer Ernie Kovacs Featured In Two New DVD Releases
- Music - Simon’s ‘Graceland’ Album Celebrated With Anniversary Release
- Music - New Releases of Hathaway, Heart Music
- Music - Willie Nelson Still Producing New Music
- Music - New Release of Elvis' Work
- Music - 'The Sound Of Philadelphia'
- Music - Dave Brubeck, Hank Williams Reissues
- Music - Janis Joplin Showcased On 2 New CD Releases
- Music - Paul Simon, Jimi Hendrix Reissues
- Legal Articles
- Adult Children May Be Left To Pay Nursing Home Costs Of Indigent Parents
- Make A Resolution That Provides Long-Term Security
- Dialogue Helps Control And Direct Legal, Financial & Medical Matters
- Life Changes Can Require Revisions, Updates To Estate Plan
- Wills Create Solid Foundation For Effective Estate Planning
- Keep Or Shred? Know What To Do With Personal, Financial Records
- Recent Court Ruling Makes It ‘Open Season’ On Adult Children In PA
- Assuring For Care Of Your Pet
- Reader Resources
- Links To Government and Social Services
- Senior Discounts / bradsdeals.com
- For Advertisers / 2013
- To Subscribe
- Contact Us
- Submitting Letters To The Editor
Murphy’s Law, written by Barbara Murphy, appears monthly in The Golden Times. The column represents the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of the publisher.
Loose Cannon: Consider Perils Before Cutting Ties With Pakistan
After the killing of Osama bin Laden, many Americans insisted that we had achieved our goal in the 10-year-long Afghan War and it’s now time for our troops to put down their guns and go home.
Many Americans also insist that the circumstances surrounding bin Laden’s death make the case that we should sever ties to Pakistan and keep the $3 billion in aid that we have been sending that country each year.
Bin Laden had been living comfortably for years in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad within clear sight of a major Pakistani military facility. No one believes the civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari knew bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan. On the other hand, nearly everyone does believe that elements of Pakistan’s army and its intelligent service knew where bin Laden was and protected him.
I wish these folks urging our exit from Afghanistan and the immediate severance of our ties with Pakistan were right, but they are overlooking two terrifying factors: the Taliban and Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
There are those in this country, even in the government, who contend the Afghan conflict can and must be solved by the “political process” — that is by negotiations with the Taliban that presumably would somehow persuade these Islamic warriors to lay down their arms in exchange for some sort of role in governing Afghanistan.
According to those people who know the area best, these advocates of negotiation are dreamers who refuse to face up to the fact that the Taliban, who are allied with al Qaeda, are determined to regain full control of Afghanistan by any means at their disposal.
Any means includes unrelenting terrorist attacks and, if the Taliban can manage it, use of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, which now includes some 100 nuclear weapons with more on the way. Reporter Andrew Bast wrote in a recent issue of Newsweek: “These are perilous days. At a moment of unprecedented misgiving between Washington and Islamabad, new evidence suggests that Pakistan’s nuclear program is barreling ahead at a furious clip.” He said Pakistan aims to double its stockpile to 200 nukes as soon as possible. A new nuclear facility at Khushab is coming on-line as early as 2013.
The Pakistan government claims its nukes, guarded by 18,000 troops, are secure from terrorist seizure. The U.S. gives aid to Pakistan to help that country keep the nukes secure.
But what happens if the Taliban and or its extremist allies succeed in their goal in taking over Pakistan’s government? That is the most chilling scenario imaginable and the chief reason why the United States and its allies must win the Afghan war by decimating the Taliban who are in Afghanistan and finding some way to destroy the Taliban who are in Pakistan.
We have to keep reminding ourselves that the Taliban are a fanatic, ruthless murderous bunch who have no fear of death whether their own or someone else’s. One out of many examples: two weeks ago, 26 suicide bombers blew themselves up in an attack on government buildings and police stations all across Kandahar City in Afghanistan. According to Philadelphia Inquirer writer Trudy Rubin, an expert on the Afghan-Pakistan relationship, most people in Kandahar believe the bombers were either Pakistani or Afghan youths who trained at Pakistani religious schools. A local police employee told Ms. Rubin there are 12,000 madrassas in Pakistan that produce 120,000 graduates a year. “This produces all the manpower needed to destabilize the area,” he said.
Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of Afghan’s president, told Ms. Rubin that if the United States pulls its troops out of Afghanistan before dealing with the Pakistan problem, his country will be sent back into civil war, with the Taliban and the Pakistani intelligence service the winners.
Bogdan Kipling, a Canadian columnist based in Washington, DC, argued in a May 11 article in The Inquirer that the U.S.-Pakistan alliance must be preserved. He wrote: “Dangers lurking in the Pakistan-Iran-Afghanistan swath of Asia threaten the United States severely right now and they can only grow nastier if Pakistan is cut loose as happened decades ago.”
Mr. Kipling said he doesn’t know whether Pakistan’s military and intelligence services kept bin Laden hidden in plain sight while telling Washington that they had not a clue where he might be. “But they kept Pakistan’s nuclear weapons out of al Qaeda’s hands and that is vastly more important than any lie about bin Laden,” he said.
Like Mr. Kipling, I believe we must preserve our alliance with Pakistan because cutting Pakistan loose would only make things worse. We must do whatever we can to persuade the Pakistan government to cleanse its military and intelligence services of pro-Taliban and al Qaeda elements.
Also, we must somehow persuade the Pakistanis to join us in an all out effort to destroy the power of the Taliban and keep those 100-plus nukes out of the hands of the Taliban and other terrorists.
Barbara Murphy, 78, writes for The Golden Times about controversial issues each month.
After the killing of Osama bin Laden, many Americans insisted that we had achieved our goal in the 10-year-long Afghan War and it’s now time for our troops to put down their guns and go home.
Many Americans also insist that the circumstances surrounding bin Laden’s death make the case that we should sever ties to Pakistan and keep the $3 billion in aid that we have been sending that country each year.
Bin Laden had been living comfortably for years in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad within clear sight of a major Pakistani military facility. No one believes the civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari knew bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan. On the other hand, nearly everyone does believe that elements of Pakistan’s army and its intelligent service knew where bin Laden was and protected him.
I wish these folks urging our exit from Afghanistan and the immediate severance of our ties with Pakistan were right, but they are overlooking two terrifying factors: the Taliban and Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.
There are those in this country, even in the government, who contend the Afghan conflict can and must be solved by the “political process” — that is by negotiations with the Taliban that presumably would somehow persuade these Islamic warriors to lay down their arms in exchange for some sort of role in governing Afghanistan.
According to those people who know the area best, these advocates of negotiation are dreamers who refuse to face up to the fact that the Taliban, who are allied with al Qaeda, are determined to regain full control of Afghanistan by any means at their disposal.
Any means includes unrelenting terrorist attacks and, if the Taliban can manage it, use of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, which now includes some 100 nuclear weapons with more on the way. Reporter Andrew Bast wrote in a recent issue of Newsweek: “These are perilous days. At a moment of unprecedented misgiving between Washington and Islamabad, new evidence suggests that Pakistan’s nuclear program is barreling ahead at a furious clip.” He said Pakistan aims to double its stockpile to 200 nukes as soon as possible. A new nuclear facility at Khushab is coming on-line as early as 2013.
The Pakistan government claims its nukes, guarded by 18,000 troops, are secure from terrorist seizure. The U.S. gives aid to Pakistan to help that country keep the nukes secure.
But what happens if the Taliban and or its extremist allies succeed in their goal in taking over Pakistan’s government? That is the most chilling scenario imaginable and the chief reason why the United States and its allies must win the Afghan war by decimating the Taliban who are in Afghanistan and finding some way to destroy the Taliban who are in Pakistan.
We have to keep reminding ourselves that the Taliban are a fanatic, ruthless murderous bunch who have no fear of death whether their own or someone else’s. One out of many examples: two weeks ago, 26 suicide bombers blew themselves up in an attack on government buildings and police stations all across Kandahar City in Afghanistan. According to Philadelphia Inquirer writer Trudy Rubin, an expert on the Afghan-Pakistan relationship, most people in Kandahar believe the bombers were either Pakistani or Afghan youths who trained at Pakistani religious schools. A local police employee told Ms. Rubin there are 12,000 madrassas in Pakistan that produce 120,000 graduates a year. “This produces all the manpower needed to destabilize the area,” he said.
Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of Afghan’s president, told Ms. Rubin that if the United States pulls its troops out of Afghanistan before dealing with the Pakistan problem, his country will be sent back into civil war, with the Taliban and the Pakistani intelligence service the winners.
Bogdan Kipling, a Canadian columnist based in Washington, DC, argued in a May 11 article in The Inquirer that the U.S.-Pakistan alliance must be preserved. He wrote: “Dangers lurking in the Pakistan-Iran-Afghanistan swath of Asia threaten the United States severely right now and they can only grow nastier if Pakistan is cut loose as happened decades ago.”
Mr. Kipling said he doesn’t know whether Pakistan’s military and intelligence services kept bin Laden hidden in plain sight while telling Washington that they had not a clue where he might be. “But they kept Pakistan’s nuclear weapons out of al Qaeda’s hands and that is vastly more important than any lie about bin Laden,” he said.
Like Mr. Kipling, I believe we must preserve our alliance with Pakistan because cutting Pakistan loose would only make things worse. We must do whatever we can to persuade the Pakistan government to cleanse its military and intelligence services of pro-Taliban and al Qaeda elements.
Also, we must somehow persuade the Pakistanis to join us in an all out effort to destroy the power of the Taliban and keep those 100-plus nukes out of the hands of the Taliban and other terrorists.
Barbara Murphy, 78, writes for The Golden Times about controversial issues each month.