Obama's Pakistan problem

Link

LR/ here

" ...... While the U.S. actually has a high degree of control in how it shapes its presence in Afghanistan and how many US troops and civilians it deploys on the ground, in the sovereign nation of Pakistan, it must work indirectly through foreign assistance and cooperation with Pakistani civilian and military authorities to try to influence Pakistan’s policy and hearts and minds towards US interests. In many ways, the nuclear armed South Asian Islamic nation, in whose ungoverned spaces are believed to reside core Al Qaeda and its top leadership, poses the more serious threat to U.S. national security. ...

In a meeting with top US commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal on Tuesday, Pakistan’s powerful Army chief Gen. Ashfar Parvez Kayani, reportedly railed at provisions in the bill aimed at trying to direct the Pakistani military towards a counterterrorism and counterinsurgency posture against the jihadi threat on its Afghan border, rather than beef up its strength against its traditional enemy India.

“Pakistan is a sovereign state and has all the rights to analyse and respond to the threat in accordance with her own national interests,” Gen. Kayani was cited.

Behind the scenes, a battle has waged between the Senate and House versions on the bill, known as Kerry-Lugar-Berman, over the conditions that Pakistani military leaders are now protesting. Speaking anonymously, Congressional sources have said that Senate drafters had argued that the bill should go light on provisions that they believed would antagonize its recipients and therefore defeat the purpose of the assistance bill. The House side, the sources said, argued for provisions that tried to try to ensure the military assistance furthered U.S. counterterrorism goals in the country...........The conditions also only apply to $300 million in foreign military funds. .....

Numerous South Asia experts interviewed said they have concerns about the U.S. pouring so much money into Pakistan and how it will be managed. But many say they believe the alternative is likely to be worse – not trying hard enough to win support in a nuclear armed Islamic nation with a growing anti American population..."

Posted by G, Z, or B at 10:24 AM