Pakistan angered by American arrogance
P
arts of the Pakistani military and intelligence services are mounting what American officials here describe as a campaign to harass American diplomats, fraying relations at a critical moment when the Obama administration is demanding more help to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
The campaign includes the refusal to extend or approve visas for more than 100 American officials and the frequent searches of American diplomatic vehicles in major cities, said an American official briefed on the cases.
The problems affected military attachés, C.I.A. officers, development experts, junior level diplomats and others, a senior American diplomat said. As a result, some American aid programs to Pakistan, which President Obama has called a critical ally, are “grinding to a halt,” the diplomat said.
American helicopters used by Pakistan to fight militants can no longer be serviced because visas for 14 American mechanics have not been approved, the diplomat said. Reimbursements to Pakistan of nearly $1 billion a year for counterterrorism have been suspended because the last of the American Embassy’s five accountants left the country this week after his visa expired.
“There’s an incredible disconnect between what they want of us and the fact we can’t get the visas,” the diplomat said.
Pakistani officials acknowledged the situation but said the menacing atmosphere resulted from American arrogance and provocations, like taking photographs in sensitive areas, and a lack of understanding of how divided Pakistanis were about the alliance with the United States. [continued…]
Having known Holbrooke since Vietnam, when he was a bit of a pompous ass but knew nothing, to when he negotiated the Dayton Accords– again being a pompous ass who really didn’t know anything then either– as well as knowing some of the Petraeus/McChrystal peanut gallery, I can feel quite sure that we are enraging the Pakistanis so much as to turn them all into Talibans. Perhaps Obama should just quit and let Biden take over if Obama can’t muster the courage to cut down to size some of the Clintonistas arrogantly doing their think in his name. For a flat broke country, we sure act like we own the globe!
The US has no right to dictate to anyone how their country is to be run when our leaders have failed the People at home. Better the US government return our troops and corporate interests back to home and stop the genocide and destruction on the people of the Middle Eastern counties that are now known to have all based on lies and intentionally fraudulant intelligence. Our terrorism is only insuring more death and destruction. Or perhaps next time the 9-11 might not be one directed by our own.