US President Biden Calls Pakistan ‘Dangerous’ For Having Nuclear Weapons

US President Joe Biden made the comments during a reception of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee [Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo] 

CNN: Pakistan summons US ambassador after Biden calls country ‘dangerous’ for having nuclear weapons 

Pakistani officials said Saturday they had summoned the US ambassador to the country following recent comments made by President Joe Biden that doubted the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. 

Speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Los Angeles on Thursday, Biden said Pakistan was “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” because it has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” according to a transcript of the speech released by the White House. 

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shot back Saturday at Biden’s comments. “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and we are proud that our nuclear assets have the best safeguards as per IAEA requirements,” Sharif tweeted, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

“We take these safety measures with the utmost seriousness. Let no one have any doubts.”  

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WNU Editor: If Pakistan is dangerous, then why all the arms .... After giving $450 million F-16 package to Pakistan, US President Joe Biden calls it “one of the most dangerous nations” (pIndia).  

Truth be told. Among the foreign policy experts the belief is that if there should ever be a nuclear war, it will be between India and Pakistan, and not the West and Russia and/or with China.

Update: No kidding .... Biden Has Lots to Say About Other Countries in Chats With Donors. It’s Often Not Nice (Bloomberg). 

US President Biden Calls Pakistan ‘Dangerous’ For Having Nuclear Weapons  

Nuclear Weapons Without Cohesion Make Pakistan ‘One of the Most Dangerous Nations’: Biden -- The Wire  

Pakistan Pushes Back At Biden Comment Questioning Country's Nuclear Safety, Summons Ambassador -- RFE  

Pakistan summons US ambassador after Biden calls country ‘dangerous’ for having nuclear weapons -- CNN 

Pakistan summons US envoy over Joe Biden’s ‘most dangerous nation’ remark -- The Guardian/AFP 

Pakistan summons U.S. ambassador over Biden's nuclear remarks -- Reuters  

Pakistan summons US envoy over Biden’s nuclear remarks -- Al Jazeera

Leaked Cables Show Growing Differences And Tensions Between The U.S. And Pakistan

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan gives an interview to The Associated Press, in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 16, 2020. President Joe Biden has not spoken yet with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. AP Photo/B.K. Bangash, File  

Politico: U.S. presses Pakistan as Afghan crisis spirals, leaked docs show 

Pakistan’s ambassador questioned reports of Taliban reprisals as U.S. diplomats struggle with refugee arrivals. 

The Biden administration is quietly pressing Pakistan to cooperate on fighting terrorist groups such as ISIS-K and Al Qaeda in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. 

In response, Pakistan — long accused by U.S. officials of aiding the Afghan Taliban — has hinted that Islamabad deserves more public recognition of its role in helping people now fleeing Afghanistan, even as it has downplayed fears of what Taliban rule of the country could mean. 

These exchanges and others, described in emails, sensitive but unclassified cables and other written materials obtained by POLITICO, offer a glimpse into how tensions between Washington and Islamabad linger after two decades of war in Afghanistan. 

They suggest that the two governments are far from lockstep on the road ahead, even now that the United States has pulled its troops from Afghanistan.

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WNU Editor: In the past few days Russian media (which I follow) has detailed the critical role that Pakistan has played in making sure the Taliban were successful in their military campaign to seize Afghanistan this summer. That is why I see U.S. efforts to work with Pakistan to address the crisis in Afghanistan is a waste of time. It is also telling that President Joe Biden has not spoken yet with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

On a final note. Since the fall of Kabul the leaks that are now coming out of the US State Department, Pentagon, and the intelligence community have been a flood.

Pakistan PM Khan Says He Aill "Absolutely Not" Allow The CIA To Use Bases In Pakistan For Afghanistan Operations

 

Axios: Pakistan PM will "absolutely not" allow CIA to use bases for Afghanistan operations 

 Pakistan will "absolutely not" allow the CIA to use bases on its soil for cross-border counterterrorism missions after American forces withdraw from Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan tells "Axios on HBO" in a wide-ranging interview airing Sunday at 6pm ET.  

Why it matters: The quality of counterterrorism and intelligence capabilities in Afghanistan is a critical question facing the Biden administration as U.S. forces move closer to total withdrawal by Sept. 11. 

* The Biden administration also is exploring options in Central Asia to maintain intelligence on terrorist networks inside Afghanistan, but that is complicated for a different reason: Those countries are in Vladimir Putin's sphere of influence.  

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Update: ‘Absolutely Not’: Imran Khan Swats Down CIA Request to Use Pakistani Bases for Afghanistan Ops (Sputnik)  

WNU Editor: Cannot say that I am surprised by his answer.

When U.S. Forces Have Left Afghanistan, Will The U.S. DEsignate Pakistan As a State Sponsor Of Terror?

Reuters  

Michael Rubin, National Interest: America’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Opens Door to Pakistan Terror Designation 

A combination of Pakistani triumphalism amidst the backdrop of U.S. withdrawal and any subsequent Taliban atrocities will ignite public opinion and lead American politicians to take symbolic action. 

Pakistanis often complain that the United States is a fair-weather friend: American leaders can be generous and even deferential when Washington needs Islamabad’s assistance but the moment the United States no longer does, it can be punitive toward Pakistan. 

Frankly, such criticisms are correct. Pakistan has long been America’s second choice. Upon the 1947 partition of India, American policymakers wanted to ally with both India and Pakistan to create a bulwark against communism. With hundreds of thousands if not millions killed, many more displaced, and the Kashmir dispute growing, though, neither Pakistan nor India were interested in working together. President Harry S. Truman claimed neutrality though Pakistanis suspected he was tilting toward India. In October 1947, for example, the State Department rejected Pakistan’s request for $2 billion in financial and military aid. Pakistani leaders also felt slighted when, in October 1949, Truman invited Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to visit Washington, without offering a similar invitation to Pakistan’s leader.  

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WNU Editor: Pakistan is not a real ally of the U.S. in the conventional sense. They have their interests. The U.S. has its interests. And for the past 20 years the Afghan war brought billions to the Pakistani economy because Pakistan demanded it in order to help the U.S. in Afghanistan. The U.s. (of course) was happy to spend it.

But this arrangement is now over. 

If Pakistan goes all out to assist the Taliban in winning the Afghan war a new arrangement will need to be implemented. Calling Pakistan a "state sponsor of terror" will be a good start.

Pakistan, US Discuss Afghan Drawdown

Pakistan's army chief of staff, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, arrives to attend the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2017.  

VOA: Pakistan, US Discuss Afghan Drawdown, Regional Security 

ISLAMABAD - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke Wednesday by phone with Pakistan's top military official to discuss regional security and the foreign troop drawdown in neighboring Afghanistan. 

Austin's conversation with General Qamar Javed Bajwa came as the last remaining 2,500 or so U.S. troops were preparing to begin pulling out of Afghanistan. The withdrawal, which starts Saturday and is to end by September 11, is intended to conclude America's longest war. The Pentagon said Austin "expressed appreciation" for Pakistan's support for Afghan peace negotiations and "reaffirmed the importance" of Washington's relationship with Islamabad.  

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WNU Editor: The U.S. has learned to not trust Pakistan .... Rocky US-Pakistan Ties Scrutinized as Foreign Troops Set to Exit Afghanistan (VOA).

Pentagon Spokesman: U.S. Military OK With The Taliban Residing In Pakistan

Bill Roggio, Long War Journal: U.S. Military Will Not Pursue Taliban Into Pakistan

A Pentagon spokesman said that the U.S. military will not conduct hot pursuit of Taliban and allied jihadist fighters from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Additionally, the spokesman said that the military would be fine if the Taliban was operating on the Pakistani side of the border.

“We have no authority to go into Pakistan,” Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mike Andrews told Pajhwok Afghan News. U.S. forces could ask for authority to chase Taliban fighters as they cross the border into Pakistan, but approval for such action “would certainly be the exception and not the norm,” he continued.

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WNU Editor: The Pentagon spokesman is claiming that the U.S. can accept the Taliban presence in Pakistan as long as Afghanistan is secure ....

.... the U.S. military can accept the Taliban presence inside Pakistan just as long as Afghanistan was secured.

The problem is that the Taliban do not stay put in Pakistan, and Afghanistan is far from secure.

Report: U.S. Wants To Put Pakistan On A Global Terrorist - Financing Watchlist

A currency trader counts Pakistani Rupee notes as he prepares an exchange of U.S dollars in Islamabad, Pakistan December 11, 2017. REUTERS/Caren Firouz

Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. pushes motion to put Pakistan on global terrorist - financing watchlist

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The United States has put forward a motion to place Pakistan on a global terrorist-financing watchlist with an anti-money-laundering monitoring group, according to a senior Pakistani official.

Pakistan has been scrambling in recent months to avert being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with terrorist financing regulations by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a measure that officials fear could hurt its economy.

The United States has been threatening to get tough with Islamabad over its alleged ties with Islamist militants, and last month President Donald Trump’s administration suspended aid worth about $2 billion.

Islamabad, which denies assisting militants in Afghanistan and India, has reacted angrily to U.S. threats of further punitive measures.

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WNU Editor: This does not help the Pakistanis .... Pakistan still not cracking down on militants, US intel chief says (CNN).

U.S. Warns Pakistan Of Repercussions Over The Release Of Terror Mastermind Hafiz Saeed

Hafiz Saeed speaks with supporters after attending Friday Prayers in Lahore, Pakistan November 24, 2017. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza

VOA: US Warns of Repercussions for Pakistan Over Release of Alleged Terror Mastermind

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — The United States warned Pakistan on Saturday that there would be “repercussions” in bilateral relations unless Islamabad immediately re-arrested and prosecuted an Islamist leader accused of masterminding the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India.

The warning came after Pakistani authorities on Friday acted on a court order and freed Hafiz Saeed, a U.S.-designated global terrorist, from months of house arrest for a lack of evidence. Detention of the firebrand cleric had stemmed from allegations of terrorism.

Washington has been offering a $10 million reward since 2012 for information that would lead to bringing Saeed to justice for plotting the Mumbai bloodshed through his outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) global terrorist organization.

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WNU Editor: Pakistan is not going to listen to the U.S.. So the next question is .... what will the U.S. do?

Update: This is why Pakistan is a problem .... Pakistan laughingly says its fight against terrorists is ‘unmatched in the world’ (Long War Journal)

More News On The U.S. Warning Pakistan Of Repercussions Over The Release Of Terror Mastermind Hafiz Saeed

U.S. warns of repercussions for Pakistan over freed militant -- Reuters
White House condemns Pakistan’s release of militant suspect Hafiz Saeed -- NBC/AP
US warns of 'repercussions' unless Pakistan detains militant -- The Hill
US Warns On Pakistan Ties Over Release Of Militant Suspect -- Radio Free Europe
Hafiz Saeed: US warns of 'repercussions' for Pakistan over release of alleged Mumbai attack mastermind -- The Independent
Pakistan's decision to release Hafiz Saeed 'step in wrong direction', says White House -- DAWN

U.S. Will Try 'One More Time' To Work With Pakistan In Afghanistan

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington on October 3.

Reuters: Mattis says will try to work with Pakistan 'one more time'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday the United States would try “one more time” to work with Pakistan in Afghanistan before President Donald Trump would turn to options to address Islamabad’s alleged support for militant groups.

Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade. While officials have long questioned the role Pakistan has played in Afghanistan, the comments by Mattis are likely to cause concern in Islamabad and within the Pakistan military.

“We need to try one more time to make this strategy work with them, by, with and through the Pakistanis, and if our best efforts fail, the president is prepared to take whatever steps are necessary,” Mattis said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

Mattis added that he would be traveling to Islamabad soon, but did not give more details.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: So it is U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis who is going to Pakistan to patch things up .... not U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson. I guess the Defense Secretary lost the coin cost.

More News On The U.S. Trying 'One More Time' To Work With Pakistan In Afghanistan

Mattis: US will try to work with Pakistan on terrorism 'one more time' -- The Hill
Pakistan's disgraced ex-PM re-elected head of ruling party as US Defense Secretary Mattis says Trump will give Pakistan 'one more chance' -- Daily Mail
Mattis: U.S. could consider revoking Pakistan's status as major non-NATO ally -- UPI

U.S. - Pakistan Relations Still Tense Over President Trump's Accusations That Pakistan 'Harbors Terrorists'

Peter S. Henne, Washington Post: Trump says Pakistan ‘harbors terrorists.’ The real story isn’t so simple.

Announcing a new Afghanistan strategy on Aug. 21, President Trump accused Pakistan of “housing the very terrorists we fight” and said the situation “must change immediately.”

Yes, Pakistan’s counterterrorism record is frustrating, but Trump’s harsh words are unlikely to have much effect. My research suggests that Pakistan is not following a conscious policy of “harboring terrorism.” Instead, its leaders are constrained by a long and complex history that intertwines Islam and Pakistani security.

Ultimately, Pakistani leaders are more worried about domestic backlash than U.S. threats, so any U.S. effort to stabilize Afghanistan will find that Pakistan continues to be a problematic partner.

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WNU Editor: What I find surprising is that the protests against President Trump's remarks have actually been very small in Pakistan. In the past you would have thousands at the U.S. embassy .... this weekend a hundred or two with Pakistani flags burning an effigy of Trump at some remote area (see above video). And while Pakistan is now trying to play the Chinese card .... Pakistani, Chinese officials discuss Afghanistan amid tension with US (Channel News Asia/Reuters) .... more here .... Pakistan looks to China as it turns away from Washington (Financial Times). The reality is that if Pakistan really wants real peace it will have to rein in the extremists within its borders, and it will also have to do this .... Pakistan Premier Says He Wants to Work with India on Regional Stability (Bloomberg).

More News On U.S. - Pakistan Relations

Pakistan warns new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan ‘doomed to failure’ -- World Tribune
Anti-U.S. Protests Held In Pakistan Following Trump's Criticism -- RFE
Pakistan fumes over US general’s Taliban remarks -- Gulf News
US-Pakistan-Afghanistan: The gloves are now off -- Express Tribune

Foreign Policy Report: President Trump Wants To Cut Off All U.S. Military Aid To Pakistan

U.S. President Donald Trump steps from Air Force One as he arrives in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S., after visiting Camp David in Maryland August 18, 2017 (Photo: Reuters)

Daily Times: Trump to ‘cut all military aid to Pakistan’

* Report says US president believes Washington is being 'ripped off' by Islamabad

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is mulling over cutting off all military aid to Pakistan because 'Washington is being ripped off by Islamabad', claims a Foreign Policy report.

As Trump reviewed an array of options for a strategy on Afghanistan with his top national security aides at Camp David, he made no decision on whether he would commit more troops to America's longest war. Committing more troops would also significantly affect the United State's relationship with Pakistan.

The FP report quoted a White House official as saying that "the president thinks we're being ripped off by Pakistan. The president wants to cut off all military aid to Pakistan. That's part of the strategy". The official further said that the Department of Defence views Pakistan and the United State's relationship as 'troubled'.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Foreign Policy article that is reporting the possibility that the U.S. may cut aid to Pakistan is here .... Inside Trump’s Tortured Search for a Winning Strategy in Afghanistan (Foreign Policy).

More News On Reports That President Trump Wants To Cut Off All U.S. Military Aid To Pakistan

Trump wants to cut off all military aid to Pakistan: report -- Samaa TV
No good news for Pakistan in US new Afghan policy -- The International News
US to ‘cut all military aid to Pakistan’: FP report -- Pakistan Observer
Trump wants to cut military aid to Pak, increase troops in Afghanistan: US -- Business Standard

Will The Trump Administration Take A Hard Line Against Pakistan?

DW: 'Trump administration has zero patience for Pakistan's terror policy'

The US is aiming to impose aid restrictions on Pakistan. In an interview with DW, analyst Michael Kugelman says if there's one US administration likely to take a hard line against Pakistan, it's the Trump administration.

DW: Is the US government finally taking a hard line against Pakistan?

Michael Kugelman: A tougher policy is certainly a strong possibility. If there is one US administration likely to take a hard line against Pakistan, it's the Trump administration. Trump projects himself as tough on terror and takes a very principled and strident approach to terror - it needs to be wiped out, wherever it is and in whatever form. It would seem that Trump would have zero patience for Pakistan's policy of going after some terrorists while letting others be.

There has been speculation that the US could expand the drone war and cut Pakistan funds. The harshest critics of Pakistan believe that the US government should revoke Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally or even declare it as a state sponsor of terror. These extremely tough policies may well be in the policy tool-kit, though my sense is that the aid cuts and drone strikes would be more likely.

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WNU Editor: For the moment the White House appears to be pushing this agenda .... Trump administration considers trading 'carrots' for 'sticks' on Pakistan: report (The Hill). But if there is ever a country that needs to be called out on turning a blind eye to terror groups .... it is Pakistan.

CIA Contractor Who Shot Two Pakistani Robbers Breaks His Silence On What Happened Six Years Ago

Raymond Davis being escorted to a court in Lahore in January 2011. PHOTO: REUTERS / FILE

Daily Mail: EXCLUSIVE: CIA contractor who shot two Pakistani robbers then feared death at the hands of mob breaks silence to tell of real-life Homeland plot which became diplomatic crisis

* CIA contractor Raymond Davis was held captive in Lahore, Pakistan after killing Faizan Haider, 22, and Faheem Shamshad, 26, in self-defense January 2011
* The former security contractor had been driving in the city area when two men in a motorbike brandished a gun at him and in fear he fired back
* He was followed an angry mob of locals, thje window in his car broke, and he was only saved when two Pakistani soldiers came to his help - but then arrested him
* He was kept in Pakistan's Kot Lahkpat jail - which is notorious for its brutal regime, murders, and beatings of prisoners
* Davis was eventually released from prison in March 2011 in a controversial $2.4 million blood-money deal - known as Diya under Islamic law
* Incident inspired start of Homelands fourth series
* Now he breaks his silence in exclusive DailyMail.com interview

A CIA contractor, a double killing in a hail of bullets on a crowded Pakistani street and a diplomatic crisis that set US-Pakistan relations back years.
It could easily be the plot line of Homeland - and in fact helped inspire a key incident in the CIA spy drama.

But for Raymond Davis - who shot two men in self-defense on a busy Lahore street on January 25, 2011 - it was a dramatic episode in his life that he's not likely to forget.

Now he is breaking his silence at last in an exclusive DailyMail.com interview.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: He was lucky that he got out. Other's have not been so fortunate .... Pakistani Doctor Who Helped Locate Bin Laden Marks 6 Years in Jail (VOA).

President Trump's Administration Is Hardening Its Approach Towards Pakistan

U.S. President Donald Trump walks to the White House in Washington, U.S. following his arrival from Camp David June 18, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Thayer

Reuters: Exclusive: Trump seen hardening line toward Pakistan after Afghan war review

President Donald Trump's administration appears ready to harden its approach toward Pakistan to crack down on Pakistan-based militants launching attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, U.S. officials tell Reuters.

Potential Trump administration responses being discussed include expanding U.S. drone strikes, redirecting or withholding some aid to Pakistan and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Some U.S. officials, however, are skeptical of the prospects for success, arguing that years of previous U.S. efforts to curb Pakistan's support for militant groups have failed, and that already strengthening U.S. ties to India, Pakistan's arch-enemy, undermine chances of a breakthrough with Islamabad.

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WNU Editor: As long as these Taliban safe havens exist in Pakistan .... the Afghan war will just keep on going. And as to the question .... is Pakistan an ally? As long as this man remains in prison they are not .... Pakistani Doctor Who Helped Locate Bin Laden Marks 6 Years in Jail (VOA).

Update: Here is one disheartening detail in the above Reuters report ....

.... Pakistan has received more than $33 billion in U.S. assistance since 2002, including more than $14 billion in so-called Coalition Support Funds (CSF), a U.S. Defense Department program to reimburse allies that have incurred costs in supporting counter-insurgency operations.

The Pentagon Cuts $300 Million In Military Reimbursements To Pakistan

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter holds a news conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia August 20, 2015. REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST

Reuters: Pentagon not to pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements

The Pentagon will not pay Pakistan $300 million in military reimbursements after U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter decided not to tell Congress that Pakistan was taking adequate action against the Haqqani network, a U.S. official said.

Relations between the two countries have been frayed over the past decade, with U.S. officials frustrated by what they term Islamabad's unwillingness to act against Islamist groups such as the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

"The funds could not be released to the Government of Pakistan at this time because the Secretary has not yet certified that Pakistan has taken sufficient action against the Haqqani network," Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said on Wednesday.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This $300 million is just a drop in the bucket. But it sends a signal .... albeit I doubt that Pakistan is listening.

U.S. Drone Strikes In Pakistan Are Straining Talks On Afghanistan

Men gather near a burning vehicle hit by a U.S. drone strike in Baluchistan province, Pakistan, May 21, 2016. The strike killed Afghan Taliban leader Akhtar Mansoor, and strained U.S.-Pakistani relations, a Pakistani official says.

VOA: Drone Strike Strains US-Pakistani Talks on Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — The U.S. drone attack that killed the Afghan Taliban’s leader last month in Pakistan damaged "mutual trust" between Islamabad and Washington, intensified hostilities in Afghanistan and seriously set back peace efforts for that war-ravaged country, a Pakistani authority said on the eve of new talks.

As senior U.S. officials and their Pakistani counterparts prepare to meet Friday, the Pakistani prime minister's adviser on foreign policy, Sartaj Aziz, said the drone attack put fresh strains on the already uneasy U.S.-Pakistani relations. He predicted the issue would have "long-lasting implications."

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WNU Editor: You would think that after 15 years of war the Pakistanis would finally realise that the U.S. knows the double-game that Pakistan is playing on Afghanistan. But considering how the U.S. has always behaved since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 .... maybe Pakistan has reason to be this confident and feeling this "righteous".

U.S. - Pakistan Relations Are Now At A New Low

Nicholas Wadhams and Kamran Haider, Bloomberg: Taliban leader's killing exposes deepening U.S.-Pakistan strains

* U.S. more willing to upset Pakistan as it pursues the Taliban
* Congress weighs new restrictions on aid to Pakistan military

The U.S. drone strike that killed the Taliban's top leader as he traveled through Pakistan reflects just how much the United States is willing to disregard an ally it increasingly sees as an obstacle to securing peace in Afghanistan.

The May 21 killing of Mullah Akhtar Mansour was an embarrassment to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government because it highlighted how -- five years after commandos killed Osama Bin Laden near an elite military academy -- a top threat to the U.S. was able to enter and leave the country with impunity. It was also a departure for U.S. strategy because it occurred in Baluchistan province, beyond the tribal areas where drones typically operate.

The strike, which both sides said was carried out without Pakistan's knowledge, was the latest signal by the U.S. of just how much mistrust has deepened as a result of Pakistan's continued, if tacit, support for the Taliban. It also shows how difficult it will be for the U.S. to reach a true end to its longest war.

Read more ....

Update: US urges Pakistan to go after Afghan Taliban leaders (DAWN).

WNU Editor: I have been saying for years that Pakistan has been playing both sides of the fence .... but it looks like that policy is now catching up to them.

What Will Be Pakistan's Reaction To The Death Of Afghan Taliban Leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor

The purported site of the drone strike in the Ahmad Wal area of Balochistan in Pakistan. BBC

The Guardian: Death of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor likely to enrage Pakistan

The US drone attack on the Taliban chief marks an extraordinary escalation of a campaign that has been a running sore in relations.

On Wednesday, Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan’s de facto foreign minister, told a gathering of top diplomats from Afghanistan, the US and China that the 2015 leak of news that former Taliban leader Mullah Omar had been dead for more than two years “not only scuttled the Afghan peace process, it also let to the splintering of the Taliban”.

Days later a US drone fired a missile at Omar’s successor, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, as he travelled in the southern Pakistan province of Balochistan.

The attack, which the Taliban have confirmed killed Mansoor, marks an extraordinary escalation of a drone campaign that appeared to be winding down and has in the past been a running sore in US-Pakistani relations.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: There has been no official Pakistani reaction to the death of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. My guess is that they are still trying to confirm his death. But if he has been killed it will be a blow to Pakistani efforts to keep the Taliban from splintering apart. And while the presumptive replacement does have long ties with Pakistan's intelligence services .... Is This The Next Leader For The Afghan Taliban? .... this group's influence does not extend to the southern part of the country where the insurgency is raging. Bottom line .... the Pakistanis are going to be angry over this attack, but also concerned on what this shift in U.S. policy will mean (i.e. now directly targeting the leadership of the Taliban).

U.S. Approves Sale Of F-16 Fighter Jets To Pakistan

A Taiwan Air Force U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet gets washed after a drill at the Chiayi Air Force base, southern Taiwan, January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang

Reuters: U.S. OKs sale of 8 Lockheed F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan - Pentagon

The U.S. government said on Friday it had approved the sale to Pakistan of up to eight F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp, radar and other equipment in a deal valued at $699 million.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, said it had notified lawmakers about the possible deal.

The agency said the F-16s would allow Pakistan's Air Force to operate in all-weather environments and at night, while improving its self-defense capability and bolstering its ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.

Lawmakers have 30 days to block the sale, although such action is rare since deals are well-vetted before any formal notification.

Read more ....

Update: Washington OKs Controversial F-16 Sale to Pakistan (Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One).

WNU Editor: I doubt that these jets will be used against the Taliban and/or  against their allies on the border of Afghanistan. These jets will be used to counter India's air superiority.

Update #2: India is outraged with this sale .... US envoy summoned: India outraged at sale of F-16 jets to Pakistan (Express Tribune).

The Politics Of U.S. Military Aid

U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at the PM House, Islamabad, Pakistan, Aug. 30, 2015.

Stepehn Tankel, War On The Rocks: Is The United States Cutting Pakistan Off? The Politics Of Military Aid

Ending U.S. reimbursements to Pakistan's military is not as simple as it sounds. The way Washington handles this delicate issue could have a big impact on Pakistan's behavior as well as on militant groups with American blood on their hands.

U.S. policymakers have learned a lot of hard lessons since the invasion of Afghanistan months after 9/11. One of them is that no realistic inducements or threats of coercion are likely to change the Pakistan military’s strategic calculus regarding support for militant groups like the Haqqani network. The most lethal arm of the Taliban insurgency and a critical ally for the Pakistan military, the Haqqanis became the bête noire for the United States in Afghanistan. Most U.S. forces have withdrawn from Afghanistan, but the group nevertheless was a major subject of discussion over the weekend in Islamabad, where U.S. national security advisor Susan Rice met with Pakistani civilian and military leaders.

WNU Editor: A sobering analysis on why the U.S. gives military aid to Pakistan .... a less than reliable ally.