Wednesday, November 30, 2011

For the U.S. and Pakistan, an Uneasy Alliance Teeters on the Brink

Ready to bust a little foreign policy knowledge to you cats, so circle up, this grown folk shit.

The tenuous alliance forged between the U.S. and Pakistan appears to be teetering on collapse following the November 26th NATO attack on Pakistani military positions near the Afghani border that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and wounded about a dozen more. The U.S. and NATO were quick to call the attack a tragic accident and apologize, and on Tuesday asserted that their forces may have been tricked by Taliban fighters into attacking the outposts. Said apologies and explanations have seemed to fall on deaf ear in Pakistan, amongst both the military leadership and the citizenry at large. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem, called the attack a "deliberate act of aggression" on Tuesday, and Pakistani citizens have filled the streets of Karachi and Islamabad burning American flags and effigies of Pres. Obama. The Pakistani government stopped NATO convoys bringing supplies into Afghanistan and ordered the U.S. to vacate the Shamsi base which has served as a staging area for the much discussed drone attacks that have served as a cornerstone of Mr. Obama's strategy in the Afghanistan conflict.

The attacks could serve as the deathknell of the Zardari government. The attacks come a mere 10 days after the memogate scandal forced the resignation of Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani. Haqqani stands accused of using back channels to petition Admiral Michael Mullen and the U.S. armed forces for help in the governments struggle against the ISI, the Pakistani intelligence service which many see as rogue and benefitting the Haqqani(no relation) network of guerilla fighters battling NATO Forces in the area. The ISI has demanded Haqqani be tried, but as of now Zardari is standing by his ally.

Indeed the fractures within the Pakistani government and civilian populace are the driving source of conflict in U.S.-Pakistani relations. Many Pakistani's are angered by their government's support of the U.S. since the beginning of the conflict. U.S. drone attacks are deeply unpopular, as is the perception that U.S. forces can act with impunity within Pakistan's borders. The killing of Osama Bin Laden in May, served as a harsh reminder of the U.S. infringements on Pakistani sovereignty. On an institutional level it seems the Pakistani military and the ISI are growing increasingly anti-U.S. The Haqqani Network, widely seen as an arm of the ISI, was responsible for the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Kabul, an attack that amplified calls for U.S. boots on the ground in Northern Waziristan, the Haqqani network's, staging area.

Further muddling the issue is both countries interdependence on each other. Pakistan has served as a vital ally, serving as a staging ground for U.S. troops and providing intelligence. Furthermore, Pakistan's nuclear capability, makes American military leaders weary of abandoning the country. From Pakistan's side it relies on US aid, both economically and militarily. Tensions have flared before between these two nations, but it remains to be seen if this causes a more permanent rift.

I'm throwing together a blog and you're all invited!

After months of avoiding the impassioned pleas for me to step up my internet presence, I've decided it's my time. Who the heck knows what I'm gonna write about, probably a little current events, some music maybe, jokes, basically whatever I'm feeling. So just remember you're either with me or your against me, this is the global war on boredom and I'm on the front fucking lines, I've seen some shit, I've thrown back my medals, basically it's my time and I'm ready to give the internet a little taste of what I got going on.