What To Do With Pakistan?

America’s quandary over the role of Pakistani military in providing safe haven for Osama bin Laden revolves around these two ideas: whether Pakistani officials are guilty of complicity in tolerating or helping bin Laden or “were so inept that he lived for years right under their noses.” Embarrassed Pakistani authorities, according to this piece, say it is the latter but that some members of the US Congress are not buying it, putting in jeopardy the $1.3 billion military aid that the US government provides to Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts. Indeed, who are they kidding?

Common sense would have anyone believe that certain Pakistani officials were hiding these terrorists precisely because they’re their bread-and-butter. Why turn them in when they attract US cash? I could just imagine these Pakistani officials pointing those drone strikes away from Abbottabad, chuckling in the process while extending a secret handshake with their resident terrorists, and making America the laughingstock of the Waziristan region.

So why America is agonizing over what to do with Pakistan? If Pakistan is engaged in double-dealing, why continue to deal with it? That seems harsh, and a blanket condemnation of the entire Pakistani government may be adding fuel to the fire. But we have to show anger and demand accountability, at least. How much leverage does Pakistan have over our security interests in the region, anyway? In this crucial war against bin Laden, it was practically a non-player. While its nuclear arsenal is cause for concern, India can deter it by way of a détente agreement, to be underwritten by the international security forces’ air strike capabilities. And why would Pakistan resort to it if it understands that unleashing one’s nuclear capability is tantamount to a national suicide?

So the question to ask of Pakistan is simple: are they with us, or are they against us?