Saturday, May 7, 2011

Is Pakistan a Reliable Ally?

General Kayani



Relations between Pakistan and America are decidedly cool after Osama bin Laden was found hiding right under their nose. The head of Pakistan's Army General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is furious and said he would not tolerate another incident like it. He released a statement which read "Any similar action violating the soverignty of Pakistan will warrant a review of the level of millitary/intelligence co-operation with the US." They intend to cut back the number of American soldiers involved in a training program, now saying they only require 39 instead of 120 and all CIA contractors will no longer be allowed to stay in Pakistan. The CIA did not share their intelligence with Pakistan on this occasion and many would argue that is why bin Laden's caputre was successful.


One of Pakistan's best known television journalists, Kamran Khan said "They (the Army) have no answer" and added "We have become the biggest haven for terrorism in the world and we have failed to stop it."


On ABC Breakfast yesterday morning, a reporter interviewed three young Pakistani men in a coffee shop in Abbottabad. They said that Osama bin Laden was their hero and they were appalled by the way he was killed. They felt much safer when he was alive and join him in his hatred for America and the west for helping them wage wars on the Arab world.


Perhaps he should have asked them what they thought about the 30,000 innocent Pakistani civilians and 3,000 soldiers who have died in the fight against terrorism. We are all in this together.


Today American lawmakers are upset that the Obama administration is signing off money to Pakistan while at the same time criticizing it for harbouring terrorists. I can understand how they feel, in 2010 Australia gave Pakistan $35 million when floods devastated the area. Maybe it's time for Pakistan to figure out who their real friends are.



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