Members of the US Congress are beginning to openly question the wisdom of attempting to purchase Pakistan’s cooperation in battling al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated South and Central Asian terror groups. From The Times of India:
“After 10 years of hearing the same sales pitch I tend to doubt it. I doubt that our money is buying anything that’s deep or durable,” New York Congressman Gary Ackerman said at a hearing. “I doubt the leaders in the Afghan government and the Pakistani government are going to do anything except pursue their own narrow, venal self interests. I doubt the ISI will ever stop working with us during the day and going to see their not-so-secret friends in the Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e Mohammed and other terrorist groups at night.”
His California colleague Dana Rohrabacher went even further back to frame the situation in a historical context. “I’ve been hearing that for 50 years. And I will tell you, a realistic relationship, rather than basing the relationship on wishful thinking, is what will bring about peace in that part of the world. What we’ve had is wishful thinking and what I call irrational optimism,” he said at a hearing called to assess US foreign policy priorities in South Asia.
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9 Comments
So, he’s just starting to question it NOW??
Can you say, head buried in the sand too long?
The basic issue here is of trust.
The FACT is that the Americans and Pakistanis do not trust each other. And they never will. How can they, when they are complete anathema to each other?
As for Pakistan, internally, where is the trust?
The Govt and Army don’t trust each other. The Shias and Sunnis don’t trust each other. The Pashtun and Punjabis have no love to be lost and the Balochis don’t trust anyone. It goes on and on and on, right down to their play-fields where the world refuses to play cricket.
I detest this term ‘trust deficit’ and believe it was coined in Pakistan. Its like saying ‘love deficit’. Can one measure trust; by what yardstick?
Pakistan has no understanding of ‘trust’. No one trusts Pakistan, not even really the Chinese, save perhaps the Saudis, the first ones to rush to recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The present pause in drone attacks highlights the severe limitations in the returns that the US can expect from its investment in Pakistan.
I had commented at the start of the Davis affair that it was time to fundamentally change tack. Will it happen, or will the White House continue to tinker with its ‘strategy’ (which with regard to Pakistan is a proven non-strategy)?
For now, as for some time, the White House appears clueless.
Pakistan has being used the Jihadis as assets for years.No aid will change their mind as their focus is on India which has a bigger army.The jihadis are used as a reserve/covert army for Pakistan!
What I have never understood is why we take such a half glass empty approach in our demeanor towards Pakistan and the jihadis.
It is well documented that they are supporting these evil men DOWN TO THE WIRE – so why do we continue to occasionally kill such evil men, while giving Pakistan billions to support them? Does that not make sense??
If Pakistan is willing to go down to the wire we should also do the same – by supporting India. India is so big that if they had full western support they would politically destroy Pakistan.
Also, it’s clear that Pakistani government forces, the ISI and the Army have more interest in squashing dissent and resistance in Balochistan than in the tribal areas where the real threat is. So the idea of funding Balochi independence while we still can, so they can split off from Pakistan, seems like a strategic MUST at this point. From Balochistan we could launch our own operations into the tribal areas.
I notice that when I post on Pakistani forums, or military forums, about Al Qaeda and jihadism, they think I’m some Indian, or Afghan, or Chinese, or American spy sent to co-opt them and take out Pakistan.
They think this site is run by an Indian man from Mumbai. I mean – come on, where could this type of scorn and distrust emanate from?
This is actually pretty funny. In the good old days of the cold war, our Republican friend Dana Rohrabacher was a well known India baiter and supported Pakistani funded Khalistani (Sikh) extremists. It will warm the hearts of old India hands to see him change his tune so much.
How come this news has not been covered in US media? If it has been covered can someone please share links. Thanks
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/151566/isi-continues-support-let-says.html
We have been supporting the wrong side for a very long time. Seems India should be our ally, not Pakistan.