SOUTH ASIA
By cooperating with the U.S., India and Pakistan are fueling passions of those sympathetic to Osama bin Laden. The backlash could be worst in Pakistan, which has ties to the Taliban, has many fundamentalist schools, and fears a new wave of refugees across its border with Afghanistan.
MODERATE ARAB STATES
Governments from Saudi Arabia to Egypt fear radical fundamentalists. But they also fear that a U.S.-backed crackdown could unleash a firestorm of domestic turmoil that could destabilize their regimes.
RUSSIA AND CHINA
Both are afraid that religious zealots trained in Afghanistan will strike them. But lacking U.S. concessions on issues such as NATO expansion and Taiwan sovereignty, Moscow and Beijing may balk at joining with the U.S.
EUROPE
NATO countries are reluctant to give an open-ended commitment to an American-led military mission without a clearly defined objective or exit strategy. Protracted warfare also could undermine European oil interests in the Middle East.
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