Article first published as U.S. and Pakistan in Tug of War Over Aid on Technorati.
The U.S. has said it is withdrawing $800 million in aid to Pakistan. Pakistan initially replied that the loss of funding would not affect military operations. Additionally, Pakistan said that the U.S. putting conditions on aid is unacceptable. In a slight change to the story, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said that the Pakistanis could pull troops from the Afghani border if the U.S. doesn’t reinstate the military aid.
Pakistan - Omer Wazir (CC)
Pointing out that Pakistan and the U.S. are fair weather friends at best is merely pointing out the obvious, just as pointing out that China is the most likely candidate to fill any gaps in military aid created by the U.S. Arguing out whether or not it would have been better to tell Islamabad about the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, while an interesting hypothetical, would most likely make things worse. It also leads to thinking that Pakistan knew where bin Laden was the entire time he resided in that country. There is no way to maintain any sort of relationship with that country if that is definitely the case. It’s a tense, tight-rope walk over an active volcano just suspecting that was actually the situation.
Mukhtar’s statements about pulling troops from the border should be taken with a grain of salt as well, because he’s the not the man on the ground that would make that decision anyway. However, it makes sense to consider whether or not he’s merely the messenger. Pakistan pushing U.S. personnel out through visa limitations and general bureaucratic obstacles may be an indicator of more problems to come. Using the aid as means to resolve these issues might seem like a good idea, and probably would be if there wasn’t another game in town. Countries in that region have been able to go to China when they haven’t been able to get what they want out of the U.S. when it comes to military weapons. Saudi Arabia was noted for it. If the U.S. public happens to latch onto the concept of cutting foreign aid in general as a possible solution to the debt ceiling issue, Pakistan would likely make the top of the “cut list” because of that country’s attitude about that money. Calling the money “theirs” will not endear them to the taxpayers in the U.S., and that brings up the whole argument against “blank checks”, at home and abroad. Pakistan hasn’t really been giving very much for that money. Yes, there are some dead militants. No, there weren’t enough to make anyone believe it was anything more than sectarian skirmishing, or just general revenge for any other harm those killed had done. Basically, a few dead militants doesn’t mean Pakistan is truly committed to taking down the “vacancy” sign that has been shown for years to Islamists looking for a place to hide.
As for this particular battle over U.S. aid, theoretically it’s time for Washington to finally reply. Hopefully, Obama remembers that Pakistan was calling U.S. taxpayers’ money its own, and replies accordingly. At the very least, require the answer to the question “what has Pakistan done for the U.S. lately?”
Secured by