You reap what you sow

We continue to see the pictures pouring out of Pakistan as fast as the flood waters are rising … people trying to make their way through swollen rivers and fields, searching for dry land and a bit of respite from the agony they have endured for the last several weeks. Throughout this, there has been criticism from the Pakistani government and various people that western aid agencies and governments have been slow to respond to the humanitarian crisis gripping the country.

Now, today’s New York Times is reporting that the Taliban says the presence of foreign aid workers in Pakistan is unacceptable “and suggested that militants could carry out attacks against members of aid groups.”

The question becomes: why should western aid workers put their lives on the line to bring help to the suffering Pakistanis when the Taliban, clearly able to carry out its threats, is ready to attack and kill those aid workers?

There have long been substantiated reports of collusion between the Pakistani government, especially the intelligence services and the Taliban. Is it possible that the people are suffering because of the duplicity of those intelligence services?