Islamabad, Pakistan -- In Pakistan, public sentiment is outraged by televised images of Lebanese civilians killed in Israeli raids. A headline in a major English-language daily reads: "Israel goes berserk". The Pakistan government has condemned the loss of life and property in Lebanon. And the country's many jihadi organizations will likely make hay, exploiting popular perceptions that the Muslim world is under siege.
In Afghanistan too, where the Taliban revival threatens to unravel state building, Afghan jihadis -- and their Pakistani and other foreign allies -- stand to benefit, reinforcing anti-American and xenophobic sentiments.
The Bush administration must act now, if it is to prevent the crisis from escalating to the point of no return. The longer it festers, the longer spoilers will benefit, not just in the Middle East but even in Muslim-majority countries as far away as Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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