Pakistan: The Myth of Civilizing War.

The article discusses leftist political positions regarding Islamic terrorists, focusing on examples from Pakistan. It is said that leftists are opposed to the intolerant patriarchal theocracy championed by Islamists, but they also view the western military response to Islamic terrorism as imperialistic and racist. The problems of Pakistan, which has endured a cyclic pattern of military dictatorships punctuated by failed civilian governments, are discussed in this context. The idea that the Pakistani armed forces will improve the conditions of the country by battling the Taliban forces ensconced in its north-western border regions is derided.