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Jewish World Review June 8, 2012/ 18 Sivan, 5772 Pakistan not an ally worthy of the name By Dan K. Thomasson
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
There's that old adage about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. It's difficult to gauge where Pakistan fits in that equation, but it seems certain that the beneficiaries of so much U.S. military aid don't always have our best interests at heart when it comes to the systematic dismantling of al Qaida's leadership.
Pakistan protests nearly every use of U.S. technology to eliminate the terrorist organization's power structure, contending it encroaches on its sovereignty and violates international law. They have long charged that "innocent" people are killed by the unmanned drones that have been so successful including the most recent elimination of al-Qaida's second in command and a number of others around him.
But most intelligence and military experts agree that it would be a serious mistake for the U.S. to pull back from its mission of destroying the al-Qaida network anyway possible. That effort began only shortly after the September 2001 Osama bin Laden-directed U.S. attacks.
The tension between the supposed allies has been exacerbated by the fact that the most-wanted terrorist in history was able to elude capture for so long, and ultimately was brought to justice not far from a Pakistan military training academy where he had been ensconced for who knows how long.
Credulity is strained to the breaking point by Pakistani claims that it knew nothing of bin Laden's whereabouts. Most American military experts agree that had Pakistani military officials been cut in on the mission, bin Laden would not have been there when Navy Seals arrived.
The relationship between the two countries has been further damaged by the recent decision to send to jail the doctor who helped U.S. intelligence make sure the occupant of the compound was actually who they thought it was. The doctor was given more than 30 years, a term that actually amounts to a death sentence.
Still the Pakistani military benefits to the tune of more than $1 billion a year in aid from U.S. taxpayers while harboring and seemingly protecting the very forces that seek to undo us. Is that galling or what?
The attack that killed Yahya al-Libi, a popular Libyan jihadist who helped direct al-Qaida after bin Laden's death sent the right message from President Barack Obama to both the terrorists and Pakistan officials. The drone use seemingly will continue as American forces prepare to gear down their role in Afghanistan.
And why not, considering how positive the results have been? Jay Carney, Obama's press secretary, told reporters that Libi's death, the second of an al-Qaida leader in 10 months, "puts additional pressure on al-Qaida in the post-bin Laden era and damages the group's morale and cohesion." He said that brings it closer to demise than ever before. Libi was both a spiritual leader and an operational manager, according to reports. No successor is on the horizon.
This nation went into Afghanistan to nail bin Laden, who was being protected by the Taliban. Efforts were shorted when the Bush administration decided to invade and then occupy Iraq, withdrawing crucial military personnel from the search for the terrorist leader and his entourage. It was a major mistake that also let an almost-decimated Taliban off the hook. But since then, CIA drone operations and the bin Laden expedition have left al-Qaida reeling.
Do we need to get out of that part of the world? Probably. But our strategic interests require us to remain operational until we can be satisfied that we have neutered the threat to our own national security posed by terrorists who find sanctuary in havens provided by our so called allies.
Pakistan is a nuclear power after all and not just a trifling Third-World saber rattler. The White House appears to understand the delicacy of our position.
At the same time, there must be an understanding on the part of Pakistan's government that this country legitimately believes that al-Qaida is still a threat and will not relent in the determination to eradicate it. If they want our money and our support, it comes with conditions. The most important of these is being an ally worthy of the name.
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