Today's Situation Room:
Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
BLITZER’S BLOG: U.S.-Pakistani relations potentially at a disastrous turning point
By CNN's Wolf Blitzer
(CNN) – I’m really worried about U.S.-Pakistani relations. Things are not moving in the right direction. Indeed, they are moving toward a potential disaster for both countries - and the region - unless cooler heads prevail.
There are a few givens we have to keep in mind.
Pakistan is a nuclear power. It has dozens of nuclear bombs in its arsenal. Right now, everyone agrees those bombs are secure. But if the situation in Pakistan were to deteriorate, that stockpile could be vulnerable.
At the last Republican presidential debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry was asked what he – as president – would do if he got a 3 a.m. phone call saying the Taliban had taken over Pakistan and controlled its nuclear weapons. Perry did not have a good answer. I’m not sure there is a good answer to that hypothetical question.
If you believe senior U.S. officials, Pakistan’s intelligence service, the ISI, is fully aligned with the Haqqani terror network. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said publicly that elements of the ISI actually coordinated the recent Haqqani attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Last week, I interviewed Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar who flatly rejected those accusations. But U.S. officials are not backing away.
Indeed, they almost certainly will soon declare the entire Haqqani network a terror organization, joining al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah, among others.
If the Pakistani government continues to support the Haqqani network, the Obama administration might then begin to cut some of the $2 billion a year in military and economic aid to Pakistan under the principle that if you support a terror network, you are effectively part of that terror network.
Unlike the United States, Pakistan has to remain in that region forever. That’s probably why the ISI believes it needs to foster a good relationship with the Haqqani network and other unsavory elements.
But unless that kind of thinking changes, I suspect the U.S.-Pakistani relationship will worsen. The consequences could be disastrous for all concerned. The stakes could not be more enormous.
 |
Post by: Filed under: Nuclear • Pakistan • Terror • Wolf Blitzer |
About this Show
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer is the command center for breaking news, politics and extraordinary reports from around the world. Tune in weeknights from 5-7pm ET on CNN.
On Twitter
Yes it is true that the U.S Pakistan relations arnt good.But you should remain pakistan have very important role in the region. As a Pakistani I am telling you we are still in the interest of the United states. Let we suppose for a while if we quit from war on terror and According to U.S blames we realy help those elements like Haqqani and the others, you have no idea how much the World could introuble. We Pakistan always very co oprative and interested on war on terror. we are sincere to over come terror.please the american have to make sure their co opration with pakistan and the Pakistani people.
we are alrady deeply intourbled,but after us there is no one who can face this terror.
Regards
i want to tell the american government that they should think twice before even accusing the pakistani intelegence and military as they should remember what happened in vietnam.
Since everyone knows pakistan and the haqqanis network have had ties for years,Y then hasnt the us gov,pursued the release of our soldier Bowe Bergdahl. I know this isnt the subject but cnn never mentions this and I think if cnn pushed it more they could probably get him released.
i read this somewhere and i liked alot thats why i shared...............and for all of u we Pakistanis are much more talented and hard working then USA........its laughing joke listening people say Taliban can take over Pakistan.........tkake a flight and come here my friends...........we are much advanced and educated country then what CNN projects........we only need good leadership otherwise we are all most talented people in the world.....have a good day 🙂
So... what's in Pakistan that the US wants all of a sudden?
why americans believe they are the only good guys . in the eyes of afghan people u r an occupational force nd they are fighting for freedom . just like they were fighting russians
If there is ANY credible evidence that an entire wing of the Pakistani military/government complex aided and abetted an attack on an actual American embassy, that should be more than enough to cut off all aid and ties with Pakistan. I am amazed that anybody would even argue with this.
Obama is looking smarter all the time for not involving Pakistan in the Bin Laden mission. They are not our friends, and by any reasonable definition, somebody who assists an attack on one of your embassies is your enemy.
I agree with what Wolf Blitzer says here.
What most of you dont realize is that Pakistan is the SIXTH LARGEST country in the world ... population wise !!
Here are the top ten countries, according to their population size:
China, India, USA, Indonesia, Brazil, PAKISTAN, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Japan.
There are more Pakistanis than Russians !!! 180 Million Pakistanis and 140 Millions Russians.
Population of Afghanistan is about 30 Million and Iraq is about 31 Million.
If it was that easy to invade Pakistan, India would have done that by now. Pakistan has nuclear weapons, cruise missiles, and the SEVENTH largest Army in the world. Pakistani Army is the LARGEST contributor to the UN peace keeping efforts.
Simply put: The way forward is dialogue, diplomacy and fair treatment.
we need to learn that other country's have their on believes customs different from are own, a our government thinks that giving money to Pakistan will control them somehow. We have bankrupt this country by over reacting to their action we need to stop. These people will never change for proof look at Iraq and Afghanistan, billion of dollars pour in and no good results. .
I am not surprised at all at Rick Perry's lack of an answer to the question "what he – as president – would do if he got a 3 a.m. phone call saying the Taliban had taken over Pakistan and controlled its nuclear weapons". If that should ever happen, we need an intelligent president with a cool head in the WH, not another loud mouthed, redneck cowboy from Texas. I believe President Obama has shown that cool in the quiet, smooth assassination of Osama Bin Laden. He did what President Bush and VP Cheney ran their mouth about, yet said they couldn't find him. Yeah, Right!
We the U.S messed up from the very beginning by allying with Pakistan. Remember, Pakistan only agreed to support the U.S in the fight against terrorism after the U.S agreed to pay Pakistan 4 billion dollars, this was the first sum paid. We allied and paid off the largest known harborer of terrorist training sites in the world, there were 110 known at the time.
Pakistan had never been U.S friendly or even Democracy friendly for that matter, does not hold Western values which is all fine and dandy until we decided to ally with them and now we wonder why we are having so many problems and why they are still working with terrorist groups and kept secrets like Osama in their backyard for years.
Write your senator/congress, do away with Pakistan relations. I am not inciting going to war with them by any means, but we need to stop allying with rogue countries and this enemy of my enemy is my friend garbage needs to end.
Time to deploy unmanned drones against the terrorists WITHOUT notifying the Pakistan government.
scenario of US/Pakistan war
1. pakistan is nuked out in hours, problem solved, the world rest in eternal peace.
2. Pakistan to become 51st state of the United States of America as Pakistan army cannot fight a foreign war but inland insurgencies so gives up power and accept US boots on the ground , no more terrorist, eternal peace in the world
3. accidentally a nuclear bomb meant for Paksitan lands in New Delhi, India; New Delhi is not too far from Islamabad, begining of third world war, the end of WWIII will definitely bring eternal peace.
A turning point is a turning point.
We Pakistan don't understand whether US Gov (not people) is STUPID or is that the US Gov thinks of Pakistanis as FOOLS?
> US is talking to taliban in Afghanistan while asking Pakistan to carry operation against the same people they are talking to.
> US gave money to Pakistan for CREATING terrorists against the Soviets and now giving the money to ELIMINATE the same terrorists.
> US blamed Vietnam's neighbor Cambodia for its defeat and now is doing the same in Afghanistan by blaming Pakistan.
> US drones can even see minute things from 1000's of feet above when they kill innocent civilians (also can translate Pashto and Arabic to English on the SPOT) but a TRUCK full of explosives crossing every check post all the way from waziristan to Kabul Embassy was not identified by US and was blamed on ISI? Then you suppose we're conspiracy theorists...
Mr Blitzer, don't ask then why Pakistani's HATE US (Gov, not people).
And yet we keep sending them billions in free money. Brilliant.
questions: why has the US not placed the haqqani network in terror list yet
Answer, CIA, and US needs them to do the dirty work they fail to do on their own. and they have someone to blame to later if the policy did not work.
who created ISU
answer, ISI is creation of CIA as well, during the 80's to counteract Russain invasion of Afghansitan.
question, can US live w/o pakistan
answer, yes indeed. if US leave Afghanistan
question : can Pakistan survive w/o US money
answer, yes, it will be pooerer by $2billion dollars, its economy is about $45billion or so, so $2billion will not add a big dent
Mr. Major MG Taylor recently Admiral Mike Mullen openly accused Pakistan of supporting the Haqqani Network. Is that what allies do? Where is the proof? Or is it because US wants to hide its failures in Afghanistan to blame Pakistan.
What is the more than 150,000 NATO troops doing in Afghanistan? You are supposed to have the best trained soldiers in the world and the best technology available to any military in the world. So if you are unable to flush out the terrorists, why are you blaming Pakistan?
And US has been attacking inside Pakistan by drones for years now, so if youhave concrete proof as Admiral Mike Mullen claims, then send the drones to destroy the Haqqani bases if any in Pakistan. After all, after the blatant attack in Abbotabad to kill Osama Bin Laden, you guys really dont need our permission or help to take the terrorists out.
So whats stopping you?
Nothing is secure, right? We didn't even know where "space junk" the size of a school bus was going to enter the atmosphere, the target area nor do we even know where it is now. Doesn't everyone realize how easily Pakistan (or anyone else) can bring nuclear or bio weapons across the border of Mexico or through the sky? Everyone needs to wake up.
Unfortunately Wolf, Pakistan has always been a center of Islamic fundamentalism and their entire population has always been anti US and anti West because of our supposed support for India. And we have always known about Pakistan's nuclear program and it's nuclear weapons sales under Dr. Ali Khan's tenure. Also, Pakistanis have been implicated in many terrorist attempts in the US and Europe, e.g. Ramsey Yusef in the first attempt on the World Trade Center. This is why I strongly and always will detest the Bush administration for a lost opportunity after 9-11. Going into Iraq, a country that had no involvement with 9-11 and entering into agreements with countries that supply most of the world's terrorists, e.g. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, smaller Gulf States, severely endangered our security. After 9-11 we had an opportunity to take out Pakistans nuclear weapons and replace their fundamentalist rulers. Instead we spent all that money and manpower on taking out a Sunni dictator, Saddam, in a predominantly Shiite country. Brilliant move Cheney and Bush
The power complex of Pakistan is corrupt and their government weak. The factions in the restive provinces answer to no one but their clan and whoever they are aligned with or who they are intimidated by. Terrorism is their MO. Fear is the only thing that works to modify their behavior. If we spill enough blood and prove to them that anyone who opposes the US will pay, with their head, expediently, it will keep their antics to a dull roar. There is no other way. They have a deep seated hatred of the west and see any conciliatory gesture as at best weakness, at worst, an opportunity for more terror. In my opinion, the gloves should come off. That includes any aggressive covert action, drones, CIA interventions, whatever it takes to scare the ___out of them and keep their heads down. Look what that approach has done for Al Queda. The Pakistani government will wail and their military will protest, but in the end, we have to do what is in our best interests to protect ourselves from these animal extremists.
If u want a solution, Read the history of pakistan. They are cowards in 2500 years no king or person born in Pakistan has ever won a war. They have defaeted by almost everybody starting from invaders Ashoka, Mauryas, Chandragupta, Kushans, Greeks, Arabs, Ghori, Ghazni, Mughals(Mongols), Sikhs, British and all the wars against India. Do what the arabs did. The Arabs conquered them, raped their women, converted them to accept a pedaphile as a prophet and circumised their mens pen!s. Today the Pakis worship the arabs and consider some black tent in a desert holier than their own fertile Indus valley. So learn from history, hit them hard and convert them. The next generation of Pakis will worship their new conquerors as their gods and curse Islam. Cowardice is written in the genes
If u want a solution, Read the history of pakistan. They are cowards in 2500 years no king or person born in Pakistan has ever won a war. They have fucked by almost everybody starting from invaders Ashoka, Mauryas, Chandragupta, Kushans, Greeks, Arabs, Ghori, Ghazni, Mughals(Mongols), Sikhs, British and all the wars against India. Do what the arabs did. The Arabs conquered them, raped their women, converted them to accept a pedaphile as a prophet and circumised their mens pen!s. Today the Pakis worship the arabs and consider some black tent in a desert holier than their own fertile Indus valley. So learn from history, fuk them hard and convert them. The next generation of Pakis will worship their new conquerors as their gods and curse Islam. Cowardice is written in the genes.
Seems like Pakistan hasn't learned much from the post 9-11 period. It should be a disastrous turning point. Pakistan has been using terror for 30 years now as a tool of foreign policy. It needs to stop. It's about time we started to confront them. There is no reason whatsoever that Pakistan has to be such a basket-case but for the fact that the military keeps interfering in their Politics.
Anyone know who the head of the Indian armed forces is? No? That's because he doesn't think he's the ruler!!
Also.
Wolf,
Any chance you could actually start challenging some of the surreal non-sequitor replies you keep getting from Politicians?
It's bizarre and embarrassing.
Please?? It would really help your fellow citizens.
The US shouldn't provide any more financial assistance to Pakistan's Islamist terror machine...
The last comment was stupid.getting ahold of a loose nuke in pakistan during a revolution would be much easier than gaining access to american nukes in very secure well gaurded locations. Pakistan is the nexus of terrorism,it should be invaded by a multi national force and disarmed of all weapons of mass destruction.after which it should be re absorbed into india and forced to join the modern world.pakistan has the technology to develop icbm's soon and also is a danger to leak nuclear materials if not outright weapons to terrorist orgs in the middle east. Pakistan is no iraq but it definetly is third world and could be rolled up and defeated by western powers just as surely.india is a democracy and america should be doing all it can to buttress india as the worlds next superpower,getting rid of pakistan would be a great start. A nation state that plays so irresponsibly with fire does not deserve to exist as it destroys the fabric of peace.the biggest reason the US maintains its forces in afghanistan is to have large numbers of forces in close proximity to pakistan if they are ever needed to secure its nuclear weapons in the event of government collapse.
Most of Presidential candidates of GOP are clueless & without vision and even without geographical knowledge what to speak of demographic behavior & other extremists crusades of various terror groups. Perry's silence to answer “what he will do if gets a call 2 am" is the simplest & it is sad an aspiring candidate for President never expected in current global & national commitments more than a 100,000 troops of America are there & reflect on his myopic knowledge of general news as a Governor of Texas. His support by ex Pak Dictator Mr. Musharraf is another support as a lobbyist which America has faced during GOP leadership of America during G.W.Bush & he still continues being an ex-General of Pakistan. It is amazing how Presidents act in spending for overseas operations with blind faith & not independent assessment & vision based on history. History does not teach not to do or restrict thinking, it tells to keep vigilant for minimum feedback from own resources when America is investing so much in intelligence agencies & military. Lack of intelligence can endanger the operational success & that is why it is ahead of operations in any country, place & military which are an eye & ear of higher echelon in battle field for strategic planning & deployment as well action.
Who needs an ally that lies to you and works with your enemies behind your back as well as costing you a ton of money in foreign aid? I say tell them to go pound sand.
Pakistan is wilfully supporting the Haqqanis and other terror networks to increase their so called 'strategic depth' against the US, Afghanistan and India. Strategic Depth = asymmetric warfare using proxies and mercenaries.
Wolf's naive explanation that Pak is having to maintain relations with the terrorist organizations like the Al Qaeda, LeT, JeM, Taliban, Haqqani netowrk simply due to lack of options is ludicrous. In fact, until OBL was killed in the military garrison town of Pakistan most held the same naive opinion.
Wake up fellas, don't apply the American cultural standards of loyalty etc. to assessing adversaries. Pakistan is only advantage of that.
What Perry should have answered is this. Were I President that Call would not be phrased quite that way, because my first act as President would be to neutralize those Nukes and secondly, if the Taliban were to move from Afghanistan and take up residence in Islamabad, great, because Afghanistan can now go about its business in peace, and the Taliban in Pakistan become India's problem, not ours. Indeed Mr Blitzer, I can tell you first hand that the President whom Mme Hina R K serves told me himself within the confines of his personal library at the Palace in early 2009 soon after his accesssion to office that "everyone knew that" UBL and Mullah Omar had sought sanctuary in Pakistan as "guests" of Rawalpindi .. he was specifically referring to Cheney in the previous administration and the CIA..
A secret White House meeting reportedly reveals that an amazing 20,000 portable, heat-seeking missiles — with the capacity to down a commercial airplane with ease— have disappeared completely from a Libyan army warehouse.
Mr. Blitzer: tell us something new and insightful. You have essentially rehashed stuff that folks have known for a long time. Also, why bother interviewing Ms. Khar who has to say whatever Pak millitary/ISI want her to say.
They pay you for this?
I donot believe US – PAk relation gone wrong this is part of mutually agreed CIA and ISI game plan for strategic objectives Pakistanis need to keep Army morale high and show their public that they are not hired guns and American need reason for their failure in Afghanistan .As US is not really interested in Haqqanis or any group who is real threat to their homeland security and Pakistan needs someone in Afghanistan who can counter anti pakistan elements this would end in political settlement .This is more like CIA is giving cover to pakistan army for recent humiliation of 2nd may 2011.
pakistan has, is and always will be a terrorist country, india has been screaming this from top of their lungs yet the western countries , particularly the US has ignored the call because it wasnt in their national interest and that changed on 9/11, even then the US still dont think those terrorist who are attacking india is not really terrorist and those who attack their troops are actual terrorist...US is playing double game and now the chicken has come home...they had this coming long time ago and every one saw it coming, now deal with it.
"At the last Republican presidential debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry was asked what he – as president – would do if he got a 3 a.m. phone call saying the Taliban had taken over Pakistan and controlled its nuclear weapons" Wakeup people! For god Sake. These kind of statements make Americans look so dumb. Nuclear Weapon can not be launched from push of a fuckin button. They are very much secured. Stop watching movies like "Salt" and you will think reality
Seriously! common sense is not very common in America. If the Alcaida can get in to US prior to 911 and bypass our so called radars and bomb airplanes in the towers, what makes you think they couldn't have been able to get a hold of American Nukes if they really wanted to? Because according to me, the biggest intelligence failure in the history of mankind was unable to prevent 911.
Please stop creating the hype that Pakistan nukes are not safe because if they aren't then even American nukes wouldn't have been any safer either. Once again, if so called men from the cave can bypass worlds best intelligence agency then the argument can be countered in to saying "Why can't they get a hold of American Nukes?"
God Bless Decent American's
@seabimmer – Chances are that the terrorists wont so much as "take over" as they would knock on the door and Pakistan would let them in and give them what they need to utilize the nuclear weapons so that they could say "It wasnt me".
I can't agree more.....
Lets aid our true ally in the region (India) and nuke them before it's too late!!!
No, sir, you are very wrong. American nuclear weapons have VERY strict controls. Try getting into an ICBM launch center. It's not easy, even if you are an invited guest! The DoD takes nuclear security seriously.
Wow. Where to begin. First, just because American nukes can't be launched by the push of one button doesn't mean Pakistani nukes can't be. Second, bypassing security at an airport is a far cry from bypassing security at an American military base – particularly one that contains nuclear weapons.
Dear fellow American. I really dont want to start an argument, but since you love common sense... Don't you think that it would be just as disasterous to detonate a nuke anywhere? It doesn't have to be in the U.S. for it to be harmful to us and the world... Just saying. Furthermore, dirty bombs are easier to transfer. They could attack a foreign US base and that would certainly affect us.
They cannot get to American nukes because we are stable and security clearence is required. Plus it would take a militia and some superior bomb knowledge to make it close to feasable.
Well ! The President did receive a 3:01 AM call from the defense Secetary saying Mr.President the Jews Have taken over our Country What shall we do, the President said, why telling me 200 year old news in this wee hour!! 🙂
There is an old saying that “Enemy needs to be closer than friend". Pakistan has taught America how trust can be misused & aid can be abused to destroy the source. There is no remedy for sinister behavior & sinful conduct. Only remedy is one should always be alert as an individual & as a nation from home to globe to have proper accountability & performance for each successive aid package by installments & it should be physically inspected & examined for right use. These perversions are very common at all level & countries in absence of accountability & measureable performance subject to tangible check by appropriate bodies of persons even in business. Keeping closer to Pakistan will give more benefits rather than neglecting or ignoring Pakistan as well ISI well nurtured by USA itself. Blind faith is not acceptable in modern society of civilization else demands determined & hard action against the defaulters without soft pedaling or coaxing which should have been in the agreement. But countries & politician have to be handled like as it is not like criminals or outlaws as it is politicians who are gaining in all ways & methods by exploiting weakness of donors.
If wolfe wrote this article, it has to be approved by Obama.
IIf Pakistan is not in control even with the USD 2 billion lifeline then why worry about the consequences of withdrawing the money. Sooner or later the arsenal will fall to anti-US elements/terrorists. What matters is what can the United States and allies do now so that such a scenario does not come about at all. With the relations going downhill this question becomes ever more important.
Absolutely. Pakistan has pretty much done devious things since the beginning. When they got caught red handed with proliferating nuclear weapons to Libya, Iran and North Korea, they handed the US a terror suspect.
I believe the Haqqani network/ISI collboration is a tactic, to prevent the US from turning off the billions of dollars of aid Pakistan gets. Pakistan gets nothing from China, and yet it considers China as it's closest ally, and not the US.
One has to wonder, but I do agree, they are a dangerous country, and the US has to keep close tabs on them. At least we know now. ISI and Pakistani military would not have the gravy train, if the place is peaceful.
Here's a simple answer: let's get America out of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Leave them to themselves. If there aren't any Americans around, then they won't be able to attack so easily and put the U.S. government in this kind of quandary.
You must have been asleep in September of 2001.
You might want to check out the World Trade Center buildings. Yep, they are not there and people who were left alone in Afghanistan planned their destruction.
If you have not been following more recent history, most of the folks that planned that are dead or wish they were. But their followers are not. Before we leave it might be a good idea to leave someone in charge to deal with those folks.
You seem to forget that the 9/11 attacks were planned by bin Ladin in Afghanistan. We can't just walk away from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
whatever... nothing's gonna change. Pakistan has an all weather friend (China) and an all weather enemy (India). It's gonna do whatever is in it's best interest irrespective of what US thinks or does.
Pakistan is expert in ruining its friendships. Look what they did to their relations with East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), India, US, Afghanistan... The Pakis are hopelessly perfidious and corrupt.
Blitzer,
You know why? One word answer: ISLAM. Islam never ever mixes with anything except with muslims. There is so much to say here. I can save the time and space by mentioning a great site. Please visit:
FAITHFREEDOM dot org
You are wrong.
Islam doesn't even "mix" with Muslims. If it were true, Muslims would not be blowing up other Muslims.
I disagree, Islam doesn't even mix with itself. Muslim on Muslim war is the most prevalent...
Pakistan is not now, nor has it ever been an ally. They ARE the terrorists.
Wolf, Better late than never. It is time to call a spade a spade and remove Pakistan as an ally of USA. It never truly was.
Why give hard-earned tax-payer dollars and resources to some one who uses them against us? Then repeatedly lie about it?
The common refrain in Washington is that we need Pak because we're still in Afghanistan. Is that dependence so desperate that we can turn a blind eye to every single atrocity Pakistan commits? We don't have to. Why can't USA look to India to fill the role of an ally?
Pakistan is playing a double game. on one hand, they try to appease U.S by giving false accounts regarding their fight against terrorist and on the other hand, they are aidding the terrorists....Pakistanis, sepeceially the ISI is a sworn enemy of Afghanistan and the Afghan government... And the do everything in their pwer the keep Afghanistan destablized and weak. I urge the polticians in our goverment (U.S.) not to trust the Pakis
Posted on Eric,I wonder, the Administration that was aelsep at the wheel in your blaming 9/11 on, could that have possibly been the one that also had White House aides on their knees?As bad as the circumstances were under Bush in your overly active imagination youd think that he was trying to take total governmental control over America. Something that Obama and his liberal congress is well on their way to doing in just two short months.The black man doesnt bother me even though your favorite word for me is racist. The bottomfeeders do. They are there because they choose to be not because they havent been afforded the chances to rise above their squallor.I did look at Wikipedias explaination of ACORN, and then did a liltle further exploring. The various sites gave me ACORN telling me what a good institution ACORN is. Well pat me on the back Superman, did you honestly think any of those sites were going show any thing derogatory about them. An intelligent person would wonder who has to do the reasearch. I deal in sound reasoning, rational thought and common sense. I dont believe everything I hear or read from the left-media. I suggest you do the same in order to get a less one sided veiw. Thats oppressive.
U.S needs Pakistan not the other way around.
Why noOh, you are all corporate shills?
The sooner we get rid of Pakistan the better.
we should not be sending any money to Pakistan. It certainly does not take an intelligence agency to know that Pakistan has been complacent and at the very least turned a blind eye to terrorist. The west is very naive in dealing with this and other muslim nations. The will always protect their own whether they are terrorist or not. Even if they do not believe in the tactics, they will not speak out against them
Pakistan does not know how to survive without these terrorist organizations anymore. They are now inalienable part of present day Pakistan. It started in the 80s largely. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Pakistanis instead of focusing on trying to shore up their economy and country started to build this terror network against India. The nation has always been India phobic and this obsession is costing it dearly. Just imagine if Pakistan had respected the 1998 treaty between the PMs of both countries, where it would have been now. Instead of spiraling down to the brink of non existence, they could have harnessed the benefits of the booming Indian economy, jump started their own economy which would in the long term have reduced terrorism in their country, not to mention a really solid relation with India. This could even have boded well for Pakistan when the Afghan war came. Imagine what Pakistan could have done with India on its side. Your phobia is your destruction. It is time for the citizens of Pakistan to make a sacrifice for their nation and stop this anarchy. Get a representative govt, rewrite constitution to bring army strictly under its control and thump out terrorists from the country. Make peace with India and focus on economy and future. Doesnt that sound simple?
US should recognize what Pakistan has lost due to this war which was never Pakistan's war. US cannot afford a war with Pakistan due to financial situation of US and strategic importance of Pakistan in that region. Pakistan is no Iraq or Afghanistan. People along with their army hate US and if invaded they will go after US with full force. So US and Pakistani officials should sit think and how to rectify this problem instead of going for a way. Nobody wants that to happen because that will only bring an unrecoverable instability in the entire world, let me say it again not only in the region but the entire world.
Farhan, this is exactly the thinking that has put your country in this spot. In 1998, I remember flying in from Karachi to Dubai. At the airport, the Dubai authorities pulled all of the Pakistani passport holders for extra security. If you have ever flown through middle east airports, you would know how poorly Pakistani's were treated then. Pakistani's have always been looked at as a security threat. If the Arabs themselves think that, I wonder.
You will never move forward if you don't recognize your own problems or see the havoc you are creating. And yes, you can blame America for every bad thing in the world, but this a problem that was created by your ISI and military.
Think about it. If you can't even clean up your backyard, I am pretty certain it will be complete disaster for Pakistan in getting into a war with the US, and let alone anyone else.
So we start putting more time and investment into a democratic India.
Just because they have the bomb, we need to put up with their behavior?
As far as the question Mr. Perry got, I am guessing our CIA has a list of every location where nukes are known to be kept, and my guess is within minutes missles would rain down on those areas. Sometimes tough love is what any relationship needs, and I think we have been coddling Pakistan long enough. Cut them loose.
You worry for nothing, Wolf.
Those corrupt Pakistani politicians need the US money for their Swiss bank account and the braindead US politicians need to wage this mindless war to win elections and stay in power.
If anything, a bad relationship between the US and Pakistan will help both the countries. Pakistanis will have far and few bomb blasts because there won't any Americans to kill and US debt will be reduced by half because it will have one less war to worry about.
The ISI has been fully complicit with the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other terrorist networks for years. We're giving them 2 billion per year? Stop the funding immediately. We're just burning our dollars for nothing and supporting a network of terror.
I think the the US govt. should take out the rogue elements in Pakistan who are against us the same way we did with Osama bin Laden – quietly and with precision planning. The attack on US embassy in Afghanistan seems like a retaliation of we did with Osama and some in pakistani military did not seem to like our meticulous planning and execution of that plot. Too bad.
Things with Pakistan are moving in a predictable and necessary direction. That region has never been either settled or reliable since before Timur the Lame rolled through there. The majority of it is a backwards, barbarous, extreme place which probably should simply be fenced off and left to rot. They are not our friends, have done everything they can think of to drag their heels with regards to their support for terrorism, have been caught providing support to the very people who are shooting at our troops, have supported violent attacks upon their neighbors, and shouldn't be receiving a damned thing from us. They have close ties with China and probably North Korea; no doubt China sees them as a foil for us and a balance for India. Yes, they have nuclear weapons, but then, so do their rivals in India. So do we. What Pakistan lacks is a reliable delivery system. You imply a threat of a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States? It would be far harder to smuggle radioactive materials into the United States than a handful of terrorists. It's nothing more than fear mongering, you useless sensationalist sycophant, and is exactly the kind of stupidity that has led to American indecisiveness on foreign affairs. The question posed to Perry was a stupid question, inflicted upon a man who has yet to realize that his presidential bid is going precisely nowhere.
Posted on Give that 50 Billion to build and safeguard our Southern Border. Build the damn wall! We will save that much on not nuosihg illegals and spending more taxes on law enforcment to deport illegals and incarcerate criminals, only to have them come back in over and over again!!this just inTHE CARTEL HAVE SEIZED 80 MILES OF Park Land in Arizona and our Federal Government does nothing but tale local law to post signs NOT TO HAVE AMERICAN CITIZENS GO ON AMERICAN LAND! They are giving our Sovereign land to the Drug Cartel! This used to be hiking/ATV fun land I am shocked and apalled and no biased other news stations are reporting it!
Civilization is always very shllaow, one of the reasons it commits suicide on a periodic bases is that the civilized people get so civilized they think they can use the law rather then military force to defend themselves against rogue states. Pakistan has never really been a civilized nation, it was a tribal area that was part of the area Britain conquered in an attempt to stop the tribes from raiding into India. It was forcibly joined to the nation that Britain built on the Indian subcontinent. After independence the Moslems wanted to gain control of an area they could use to attack India, thus Pakistan was born. The Pakistanis are now proving that most of them are still in the 7th Century.
For better or worse Pakistan will not stop trying to gain influence in Afghanistan and the cheapest way for them is to align with Haqqani Network and Taliban. ISI essentially moved the same game they play on its eastern border to the western border. It is very unfortunate it took 10 years for US to realize the double game being played by Pakistan.There is no easy way out for any one involved in that region.
It has been the consensus of our leaders to pander to other governments we deem necessary to our security. I feel this is wrong. We are the leading country of the world and should not have to pander to the Pakistani government or any other government!!
The Pakistani government has proven insincere in their handling of the Taliban and its leaders and we should treat them as such!!! They need to know we will not tolerate them coddling the Taliban factions on their soil! Make them chose their own fate, us, or the Taliban!
Dan K Owens Cross Roads Alabama
I watched Wolf's interview with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, and she never rejected the accusations. She never said the word Haqqani or ISI. She talked about the need for Pakistan and the US to work together and that Pakistan has been the victim of terrorists. I remember thinking that she was answering a different question than the one Wolf asked – much like most all U.S politicians.
Wolf you do not make any sense, so what you like is status quo and nuclear blackmail and milking of the American taxpayer?
The US needs to invest money in the educational infrastructure in Pakistan...more schools, more colleges..create awareness so people can understand the issues at hand and make better decisions.
The aid is for services being used in Pakistan....its not a gift.
Cut their foreign aid off at all of those countries.You cannot eat warfare weapons.We need to get out of all this crap and bring all our troops home now if we are not going to use our B-52's or B-1's etcetura.To hell with all of them.Jim Thomas Phx.Az.