Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates (right) hosts a meeting in the Pentagon with Chief of the Pakistani Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani (2nd from right). Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen (2nd from left) and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy (left) also participated (20 October 2010). Wikipedia
Robert Gates: Pakistan 'Really No Ally At All' -- Ankit Panda, The Diplomat
Robert Gates doesn’t trust Pakistan and neither should the United States.
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has been making splashes in the media ahead of the release of his memoir of his time in office, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. While much attention has been drawn to Gates’ critiques of the Obama administration, including the president’s leadership style, relatively little attention has been given – at least in the U.S. press – to Gates’ thoughts on the ever-troubling U.S.-Pakistan alliance. Gates reveals that in the final years of his tenure, he was convinced of Pakistan’s pursuit of objectives that were directly contrary to U.S. interests, including supporting the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network, and anti-India terror groups.
In Duty, Gates writes: “Although I would defend them in front of Congress and to the press to keep the relationship from getting worse – and endangering our supply line from Karachi – I knew they were really no ally at all.” Gates qualifies his beliefs about Pakistan’s intentions by referring to a January 2010 visit to the country, when he interacted with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani – men who are no longer in power in Pakistani politics. Gates, however, remained silent about his reservations on Pakistan during his tenure as Secretary of Defense– always appearing to support the alliance.
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My Comment: I would go one step further .... in some cases they are the enemy.
1 comment:
Of course, as a Soldier of PAKISTAN, who had worked closely with Central Commmad. US was never the Ally of PAKISTAN. I agree with Gates that US needed and will need PAK so he was being an Idealist in keeping quite. We are the Smart Successor State and masters of the crafty British "Great Game". We own this real estate. US does not,INDIA is Enemy number one of PAK, when they try to upset our backyard in AFG. It's Pay back. Anyone who denies that IND is not trying to be funny in AFG & is working to be detrimental to PAK thru AFG, will get bloody teeth. US has to realize, IND cannot be the Ally it shows it is with US. Sheen has gone away. Just look at Hindu Tantrum due the Lying Diplomat in US and Anti US reaction of Dehli, More Realism, anyone ?
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