Newsnight Report 04/08/09 : Pakistan

[kookomula]

Only a short clip is available online now. I think the full version of the Tim Whewell report will be up tomorrow.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/default.stm

( iPlayer [top right] click through to watch recent programmes)

The clip does not include the interview with the civil servant who said that the Taliban could be being used to destabilise Pakistan and demilitarise the country.

The clip does include a comment made by a defence analyst around 2:00m.

[kookomula]

"In terms of worst-case scenarios for the Joint Force and indeed the world, two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico.

Some forms of collapse in Pakistan would carry with it the likelihood of a sustained violent and bloody civil and sectarian war, an even bigger haven for violent extremists, and the question of what would happen to its nuclear weapons. That “perfect storm” of uncertainty alone might require the engagement of U.S. and coalition forces into a situation of immense complexity and danger with no guarantee they could gain control of the weapons and with the real possibility that a nuclear weapon might be used."

From: The Joint Operating Environment (JOE) 2008

www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2008/JOE2008.pdf