After bin Laden

In this week’s Spectator, on sale today, we have an outstanding lineup on bin Laden’s death and its aftermath. I thought CoffeeHousers may be interested a preview of what’s in this week’s mag.

Our lead feature is written by Christina Lamb of the Sunday Times: she has been writing about Pakistan for 24 years and is now based in Washington — so is ideally qualified to write about the changing relationship between the two countries. Bin Laden’s urban lair fits a trend, she says: other jihadis have been found in similar urban compounds near the Pakistan military. The country is playing a double game, she says. Dana Rohrbacher, a Republican Congressman who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, tells Christina: “I used to be Pakistan’s best friend on the Hill … for a long time we bought into this vision that we were supporting moderates by supporting the military. In fact, the military is in alliance with the radical militants.