ISAS Insights

Most current military conflicts are between apparent unequals. Yet, we see that the obvious and expected result, which is the victory of the superior power, is not so easily achieved. For instance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has not scored remarkable victories against the ragtag Taliban in Afghanistan; the well-armed and equipped Pakistani army has been unable to bring the unruly Frontiers under its control and; not so long ago, the Hizbullah was able to grind to a halt the advance of the powerful Israeli forces in Lebanon. In each case, the numerically smaller and poorly equipped adversary, all non-state actors, resorted to unconventional means to deter the more powerful. This is also why the defence establishment in Islamabad has been cautious about proclaiming the end to the conflict in Swat.