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elections could well change the present complexion of both houses of Congress. For instance, if the Republicans maintain control of the US House of Representatives and also gain control of the US Senate, then Obama will become even less effective than he is at present. If however Obamacare becomes functional and popular, the Democrats might get an edge in these elections. But for some of the Republican politicians especially in the Senate, this is more about the 2016 presidential election. It is an established paradigm in US elections that both liberal as well as conservative candidates once nominated by the major political parties to contest for the US presidency move towards the centre. However, we now have a new breed of Tea Party senators who if nominated by the Republicans might not move to the centre. Of these the most intriguing is Senator Rand Paul, Republican from Kentucky. Senator Rand Paul is often described as a Libertarian. Even though his views on domestic issues are somewhat within the mainstream of conservative Republican politics, he does stand out in one particular aspect and that is his isolationist foreign policy. He advocates a smaller military and an end to international interventions. Here perhaps what happens in Pakistan becomes of interest to US politicians as well as the military establishment. In 2014, the US plans to withdraw most of its combat forces from Afghanistan. If there is an orderly withdrawal and the present Afghan government manages to survive through the next US presidential election then the present US foreign policy will at least be supported by the winner of the next election. On the other hand, if things start falling apart, then there just might be a strong support for a Rand Paul candidacy. US establishment, therefore, needs a Pakistan that is willing to help the US in their plans and that will depend to a great degree on the internal political situation in Pakistan. What obviously needs to happen in Pakistan for the US to able to depend on it are two major things. First, the ongoing rash of terrorism must be controlled and the Taliban types brought under the control of the Pakistani government. Second, the Pakistan army must give up on its concept of strategic depth and stop supporting directly or indirectly those groups that are at present fighting against the US and its allies in Afghanistan. Two very big ifs. So if we believe in conspiracy theories, here is another one. The US security establishment has to prevent an isolationist like Rand Paul from becoming the US president and that will among other things mean a compliant Pakistan. How the US manages to get a compliant Pakistan is something that we will just have to wait and see.