Masopher's Mind

In the middle of a recession the last thing you would think the US would do is pay 1.5 billion dollars to a country that systematically trains, harbours and sponsors terrorists. In a January OP ed in the Washington Post, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari tells CIF Obama, “we don’t want your advice just your money”. Ali, the more criminal half of the Bhutto dynasty blames the US for not giving enough to Pakistan after Al-Qaeda and the CIA drove out the Soviets. According to the President Pakistan was “abandoned” to criminals (namely himself) radicals (his coalition partners) and military dictators (former president Musharraf). Zardari’s message is the typical mix of contemptuous pride, self-pity and begging. His commitment to the Pashtun problem is weaker than his concern for reclaiming Kashmir and Jammu and building a military to rival India. Also implied was that failure to pay for Pakistan’s problems will lead to more terrorism, which can be interpreted as
a) a threat
b) an admission of his governments impotence
Either way, President Zardari is asking for quid without promising quo. He hopes that the US will as usual haphazardly throw money at the problem hoping that it will go away for a little. It will remain Masopher’s opinion that the Afghan-Pak area as a whole needs full pacification. The continued recognition of the Duran line only leads to a situation where a doctor treats only one side of a patient hoping that the other will get better on its own.
Just as Musharraf before him Zardari is unable to please anyone because he is trying to please everyone. Above all he is all too eager in pleasing himself with America’s tax payer’s dollars.