Teddy Roosevelt's Advice to America about Pakistan and the Taliban

Teddy Roosevelt was an American president who strove every day to be fair with everyone. He held this virtue to be the mark of a good person.

One of Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite pieces of advice, and one which every American school child learns, is originally from West Africa :

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

I thought of Roosevelt’s Speak Softly phrase this morning when I was watching most Americans, including politicians and high government officials, angrily denounce Pakistan for its seeming treachery toward America vis-à-vis the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

At the same time, these same Americans were waxing poetic about the possibility of getting out of Afghanistan, either by simply accelerating the withdrawal of the American military, or by cutting a political deal with the Afghanistan Taliban now that bin Laden is no longer a stumbling block to the process.

I think Teddy Roosevelt might have had a different idea.

Speak Softly. We all know that somebody in Pakistan was protecting bin Laden. Why beat a dead horse. Let’s instead focus on what we want from Pakistan. The Pakistani government and military are probably the most important key America possesses if she is serious about negotiating with the Taliban.  So why make fools of them in public? Why not speak softly, and let them know about the Big Stick lurking down the road.

Carry a Big Stick. America has now proven, if there ever was any doubt, that its commando strike capability is unique. It can strike anywhere in Afghanistan, or Pakistan for that matter, killing or capturing Taliban leader Mohammed Omar for example, or taking out Taliban leaders being sheltered in Pakistan, or the Pakistanis sheltering them.

That’s America’s double key to a successful negotiation and partial withdrawal. We can leave Pakistan with a safe relationship with the Taliban, her atomic capabilities intact and shielded from her fears, unfounded to be sure, of India. We can also negotiate with the Taliban, but the longer they hold out, the more likely it is that their leaders will find themselves in US custody or at the bottom of the Arabian Sea.

All that is required is cooperation - and the realization that America will be watching if Pakistan meddles too much in Afghan affairs or if the Taliban, once incorporated into Afghan political life, starts to show signs of a return to its old, despicable ways. The Big Stick will be close by in either case.