Pakistan, India, the GWOT, and Sovereignty

The best question from today's news conference announcing Barack Obama's new foreign policy team came from Jake Tapper. He reminded Barack Obama that he has announced that if there is actionable intelligence on Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Pakistan won't act we will. Tapper asked if he would give India the same privilege in going after the perpetrators of Mumbai in Pakistan.



Obama circled around the question and it wasn't clear how he would respond in such a situation. This is a very important question. It's easy to talk tough, but once we allow for sovereign rights to be violated, that leads to chaos. If India were to do what he suggests we will, that would lead to a war between the two nations.



None of this is easy. Most of the countries in the world are unwilling or unable to go after terrorists among their midst. Many of the terrorists are residing in Pakistan. Pakistan's government has no control over the areas that the terrorists call their home bases. Yet, if we were to enter their nation without the permission of their government, it would either lead to war or the total disintegration of the government. If India were to do the same with the perpetrators of Mumbai, it would lead to a war between two nuclear nations.



This brings me back to the question and Obama's position on the issue. Barack Obama has made it easier for other nations to violate sovereignty with this bold proclamation. By announcing boldly that if need be the U.S. is willing to violate sovereignty for the GWOT other nations also see the violation of another's sovereignty as something less consequential. Without sovereignty, we have geopolitical chaos. It's easy during a campaign to act tough, but the geopolitical reality here is a license for any country to invade another under the guise that folks within the invaded are a threat to their national security. Such operations should always be made as quietly as possible using back channel diplomacy. By being so public with his proclamation, Barack Obama has opened up such questions. He's also given license to other nations to do as he intends.