Bullypulpit
Senior Member
For some time now, $5.6 billion worth of time, the US has been paying Pakistan some $1 billion annually in "coalition support funds". This is to reimburse Pakistan for the costs incurred for conducting counter-terrorism operations along the border with Afghanistan.
The problem is this...For the last eight months, or so, Pakistan hasn't so much been doing any anti-terrorism, especially in areas where al Qaeda and the Taliban are active. US military commanders ON THE GROUND in Afghanistan have suggested that these payments be tied to Pakistani performance, especially since the Pakistani military often ignores Taliban fighters crossing the border and ignores calls to intercept Taliban and al Qaeda fighters as they flee back into Pakistan.
But the suggestions of the US military commanders are falling on deaf ears at the White House. Big surprise that. The White House contends that any cuts to the payments would only further destabilize Pervez Musharaff's government. And we're worried about Iran getting nukes why? Seems the greatest opportunity for radical Muslims to get ahold of nukes is for them to over-throw Musharaff. But that very real possibility doesn't seem to be generating as much attention as the nascent nuclear program in Iran that has all the neo-cons in the administration atwitter.
But then, this administration, since it first came to office, has been loathe to pay attention to the real threats and content to attend to the ones they've made up and/or inflated beyond reason.
For the full story, go here:
<center><a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/world/asia/20pakistan.html?_r=1&th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print>U.S. Pays Pakistan to Fight Terror, but Patrols Ebb</a></center>
The problem is this...For the last eight months, or so, Pakistan hasn't so much been doing any anti-terrorism, especially in areas where al Qaeda and the Taliban are active. US military commanders ON THE GROUND in Afghanistan have suggested that these payments be tied to Pakistani performance, especially since the Pakistani military often ignores Taliban fighters crossing the border and ignores calls to intercept Taliban and al Qaeda fighters as they flee back into Pakistan.
But the suggestions of the US military commanders are falling on deaf ears at the White House. Big surprise that. The White House contends that any cuts to the payments would only further destabilize Pervez Musharaff's government. And we're worried about Iran getting nukes why? Seems the greatest opportunity for radical Muslims to get ahold of nukes is for them to over-throw Musharaff. But that very real possibility doesn't seem to be generating as much attention as the nascent nuclear program in Iran that has all the neo-cons in the administration atwitter.
But then, this administration, since it first came to office, has been loathe to pay attention to the real threats and content to attend to the ones they've made up and/or inflated beyond reason.
For the full story, go here:
<center><a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/world/asia/20pakistan.html?_r=1&th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print>U.S. Pays Pakistan to Fight Terror, but Patrols Ebb</a></center>
