As U.S. - Pakistan Relations Deteriate, Only Al Qaeda Will Benefit

Forward Operating Base Bostick - the most northern U.S. military base in Afghanistan. The Swat Valley of Pakistan is directly across the mountains. Larry Towell / MagnumLarry Towell

Pakistan Plays Hardball -- Newsweek

Relations with Washington are on the skids. But if the alliance really goes south, only Al Qaeda wins.

Tensions between Islamabad and Washington have reached a fever pitch in recent months. As President Obama plans a visit for later this year to the world’s second-most-populous Muslim country, the White House wants above all else to fight Al Qaeda and wage its war in Afghanistan. Islamabad has something else in mind.

In January, the war strategy Obama announced more than two years ago was abruptly put in cold storage. After the American contractor Raymond Davis killed two Pakistanis on a street in Lahore and was then released in March after $2.3 million in compensation (so-called blood money) was paid to the victims’ families, the Pakistani public was more roiled than it has been in recent memory.

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My Comment: Speaking personally, years ago when I was doing international trade, doing business with businessmen and traders from Pakistan was always a long and arduous exercise .... so much to the point that a long time ago I made the decision to cross them out from doing any business with. With such an experience, I can only imagine how they operate in the political/diplomatic arena, especially since they now have been brainwashed that the U.S. owes them for all the sacrifices that they have bared in fighting the Taliban.

With such a mindset and culture, this ... in every way .... has become a lose-lose situation for us, the Afghans, and in the end .... the Pakistanis themselves. But I know that in today's world 99% of Pakistan do not see it that way .... that the U.S. and the West are exploiting them .... and that they do not respect Pakistani sovereignty. Sighhh .... the people in Pakistan have lost sight on who the real enemy is .... and in the end .... it is true .... only Al Qaeda will benefit from this infighting.