No use to resort to the “fear of terror” to push for the illogic - even for "the age of terror"

Comments on Hal G. P. Colebatch “Domino theory for the age of terror”, 19/05/2009, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25502849-5013479,00.html

Dear Mr Hal G. P. Colebatch, nice title for your article and good analogues used in it as well. Congratulations!

However, one doubts about the likelihood of the spread of power by the Taliban from Afghanistan to Pakistan. Yes there are pockets of Taliban strongholds in Pakistan, but they are relatively insignificant compared to the Pakistan armed forces. This situation is far from similar to that of South versus North Vietnam during the Vietnam era.

Further, at the time of the Vietnam War, the North had strong and powerful international backers, such as China and the former USSR. There is no such powerful international forces existing today to support the Taliban and the world is almost unified in against international terror.

It seems your domino theory for the age of terror will always remain to be just that – a theory, and no more than that! The time and situations are so different now and there is no use to be so alarming and hysterical at this time. Yes, it would be ideal if the international forces can defeat the extreme Taliban, but it will not be a disaster if they can’t.

Further, if the Taliban can be contained to stay in their limited areas, that could also be an acceptable outcome of the war against terror. Extreme as it is and so horrific to many outside people, the Taliban has some support as a religion. It is not the value of most others, but there are internationally accepted governments that may not perform any better than the Taliban. We have got to recognize that, no matter how uncomfortable or even painful it is.

Nice title and good analogue again, but we need to be little aware of the different context between them. Mechanical or illigical inferences are no use and potentially very harmful.