The excursion into Pakistan was into an area outside the governments’ control. You might say it’s the “wild wild west” to refer to the history of the U.S.. It’s a place the biggest meanest guy says what the law is. The legitimate government of Pakistan is unstable and ineffective, and it is in a state of flux. Anything can happen. We would like Pakistan to move pro-western but lack the hegemony to move it. In the mean time Wahabist radicals are using the lawless part of Pakistan as a safe haven for hit and run tactics against the powers that be in Afganistan and the Pakistani Government can’t or won’t police them. We’ve started to.
Iran on the other hand has a majority population under 35 years old that is largely pro-western. We want to keep them that way. The rulers are by and large in-place by corruption. The majority of the people do not like them and want regiem change. They will get it too, if a legitimate election is ever held. The current Iranian Government may well be overturned soon.
