Chaos in Pakistan as Hundreds of Thousands Flee Fighting

The writing seems to be on the wall at this point in Pakistan. With the country hurdling toward an all-out war with the Taliban and no clear distinction as to who's fighting for whom, the U.S. is largely left in a wait-and-see position. That puts the U.S. and almost all Western nations at grave risk as Taliban militants continue to wreak havoc throughout Pakistan.

One would have to assume that the U.S. knows the exact position of every Pakistani nuclear weapon, but there is likely know way that all can be protected from a force that is currently taking the fight to the Pakistani military.

Even as public sentiment in Pakistan finally seems to be moving away from the Taliban, there is no effective way for government forces to target militants without endangering and likely killing equal numbers of civilians. The battle lines, as they are in every middle eastern conflict, are far from clear.

As the violence continues to escalate and the humanitarian crisis worsens, the Obama administration will be faced with the most difficult decisions of its young term. And all of this against the backdrop of a worsening situation in Afghanistan and continued uncertainty in Iraq. Obama's team didn't create the mess that currently envelopes the U.S. and much of the world, but now they own it.