Posted on 11/26/2011 12:13:41 PM PST by jazusamo
Pakistan has cooperated secretly with the U.S. on several war-fighting missions in an odd-couple alliance that also sees factions in Islamabad backing the fiercest American enemy.
The uneasy relationship is being put to the test again, as Pakistan accused NATO on Saturday of unleashing a helicopter strike on a Pakistan army border outpost and said 24 soldiers were killed.
U.S. military personnel who have served in the region tell The Washington Times that Pakistan does far more in secret than either side acknowledges. It wants money from Washington to keep flowing, yet fears a democratic Afghanistan could one day align itself with archenemy India, analysts say.
Pakistan’s dual objectives help create this odd alliance.
Last summer, as then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen was castigating Pakistan in public for aiding the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, the CIA was launching Predator drone strikes from Pakistani air bases on suspected militants. The U.S. military has deemed Haqqani its greatest threat, ranking it above the Taliban and al Qaeda.
In April, as the Obama administration was keeping Islamabad in the dark on the Osama bin Laden raid for fear of a leak, the U.S. Navy routinely flew aircraft from carriers over the country’s airspace, along designated “highways,” to hit targets in Afghanistan.
James Russell, an instructor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., said Pakistan needs U.S. cash to maintain a large army and to deter India.
“The Pakistani military has a longstanding relationship with the United States,” he said. “We have been a principal provider of military equipment, training and money for many years.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
When are folks going to learn that war involves secrets.
Why get cash from us, since George Washington on the dollar now has slanted eyes. China’s their ally; let the Paks get cash from them.
Try Turkmenistan. The hotels and malls aren’t fancy, but the people there want roads built for developing their oil resources. Get closer with India. Ignore Europe’s whining.
Yada, yada, yada. They’ll twist it inside out and backward to get people to believe this horse hockey.
Pakistan has cooperated secretly with the U.S. on several war-fighting missions in an odd-couple alliance that also sees factions in Islamabad backing the fiercest American enemy... Pakistan does far more in secret than either side acknowledges. It wants money from Washington to keep flowing, yet fears a democratic Afghanistan could one day align itself with archenemy India, analysts say... The U.S. military has deemed Haqqani its greatest threat, ranking it above the Taliban and al Qaeda... Pakistan needs U.S. cash to maintain a large army and to deter India.In addition, Pakistan has harbored OBL and other top leaders of al Qaeda, and, hey wait a minute...
That is what they have to do for political reasons.
The Pakis get US military and economic aid and then pay hard cash to buy Chinese weaponry. In other words, the Chinese keep getting richer.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.