“We will have to see whether we are allies or enemies.”
- Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik referring to NATO and the escalation in tensions between the alliance and Pakistan.
I strongly suggest Mr. Malik think long and hard about what he is saying and which side he wants to end up on.
Posted on September 30, 2010, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
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I wonder what the Pakistani angle in all this is. I suspect they are juggling an alliance with NATO with dissatisfaction from tribal, Islamist, and nationalist forces inside Pakistan. If Pakistani army men are killed with impunity by American gunships, the government risks a coup by any number of nationalist, military, separatists, or religious malcontents. If on the other hand America is cut loose, they lose aid and assistance, and once again are vulnerable to overthrow.
So the American and NATO forces need to do everything they can to avoid military and civilian casualties on the Pakistani side of the border, that may mean letting some terrorists get away. The Taliban, is certainly aware of this, and probably plans its attacks with these considerations in mind, I don’t doubt the scumbags use civilians as shields hoping for casualties, they may even have corrupt or turncoat Pakistani units providing them cover.
Now this is all assuming that the Pakistani government is being an honest ally. Its fully possible that they have secret relations with the Taliban, and some say they negotiated a cease fire with them allowing the Taliban to attack US troops unhindered.
Either way, such incidents are very bad for the coalition and should be avoided at all costs. You do not want to be bringing supplies through the Russia sphere or freaken Iran.
It’s hard for me to be objective. I suppose I’ll never trust Pakistan. Let me explain.
In college I had a Pakistani roomate. He very intensely disapproved of my lifestyle. He even nearly got me expelled from the University of California due to my “insensitivity.” It was only by pressing him to enumerate with examples that I was spared the fate of two roomates before me. Here’s an excerpt:
1) “He has sometimes drank up to 2 beers in our dorm room, even after I told him that drinking is prohibitted by my belief system.” (And who’s supposed to obey here?)
2) “I have seen him actually kissing his girlfriend while sitting on the bed with her.” (Oh my gosh!)
3) “His male and female associates have been in our dorm room, talking about having sex, and none has ever been married.” (I’m not proud of it, but guilty as charged.)
4) “He stores as many as six beers in his refrigerator, right in our room.” (Yep, I was 22, so that was okay. But then again, I was disobeying HIS beliefs. Fortunately, I pointed out that he apparently disposed of them while I was away–presumably in ther trash without consuming them.)
AND…
5) “Your country’s moral bankruptcy will be its downfall. I predict this will come from Islam. If anything, this University is even worse than your country!” (Which comment resulted in the adjournment of th eombudsman’s hearing.)
He was a bright, 26-year-old, and a 4-year U.S. resident. He strongly hated America. Yet, his Harvard trained daddy sent him to a U.S. university so he could get an upper-level government job (back in Pakistan). His wife of 5 years waited patiently for him. He never called or wrote her. He saw no hypocrisy in having a male lover. Nor did he have issues with using heroin, for which he was eventually expelled–touche’!
So, no, I don’t trust Pakistan. I know my roomate was a single case, but he was a poor ambassador, and for all I know he’s related to Interior Minister Rehman Malik since they share the same last name.
I had one intentionally wreck my marriage, so my fondness for these people is near nil, though, as with every group, you find wonderful exceptions.