Special Forces troops tend to think they carry the fate of the world in their rucksacks.
In
Pakistan, they may be right.
Years from now we may look back at the
"secret" deployment
of some 70 U.S. military advisers to Pakistan as a turning point in the
global war on terrorism, the moment when a daring idea and brilliant
execution snatched victory from a looming disaster.
Or the opposite: a Pakistani version of
Ia Drang,
the 1965 battle when North Vietnamese regulars showed they could go
toe-to-toe with American troops, signaling a long, devastating and --
in that case -- losing war.
Make no mistake about it:
Pakistan hangs in the balance.
President Obama suggested as much in
his speech to Congress Wednesday night, when he said, "We will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away."