Pakistan wants the US to give it a "fixed annual sum" for keeping troops in Nth. Waziristan

[illusion8]

The US did technically apologize for the incident and we have not seen a recurrence since. I would argue that a large part of the problem with US engagement with Pakistan during those years was Leon Panetta (first CIA Director and then Defence Secretary), who took a very confrontational approach to dealing with Pakistan, whether it was the Raymond Davis case, the drone attack on a tribal jirga killing dozens of innocents right after RD was released (and against the strong objections of the US State Department and especially the US Ambassador) or the attack on Pakistani troops at Salala. Leon Panetta's line of thinking was to 'bully Pakistan into submission', which did not work and only ended up destroying what little trust and cooperation existed.

Contrast US engagement with Pakistan during the Leon Panetta years (in the CIA and defence department) with US engagement with Pakistan at any other time and you'll notice a significant difference.

It is time to move beyond past issues and try and build a new relationship based on core interests of both States.

No one is "begging" and the US is not going to provide funds just because a country goes "begging" to her for funds - US engagement with Pakistan will be based on US national interests (which align with Pakistani national interests in many areas), and any agreement on continued US financial support for military operations in FATA can meet BOTH Pakistani and US national interests.

The US is cutting off and leaving, there are enough voices in the US senate questioning the US's judgement in funding Pakistan all this while, so it would be very difficult for any senator to convince the house to continue with the funding. A support contingent may exist in Afghanistan for another two years entirely based on the BSA being ratified. Other than that they are finding it difficult to convince many even in keeping the ANA supplied.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

The US is cutting off and leaving, there are enough voices in the US senate questioning the US's judgement in funding Pakistan all this while, so it would be very difficult for any senator to convince the house to continue with the funding. A support contingent may exist in Afghanistan for another two years entirely based on the BSA being ratified. Other than that they are finding it difficult to convince many even in keeping the ANA supplied.

If the US does not see it in her interests to fund Pakistani COIN operations in FATA, then that is what it is, and Pakistan will have to make do with her own resources. It does not change the fact that the war still has to be fought.

 

[illusion8]

If the US does not see it in her interests to fund Pakistani COIN operations in FATA, then that is what it is, and Pakistan will have to make do with her own resources. It does not change the fact that the war still has to be fought.

Of course.

 

[Menace2Society]

If US don't provide funding then Asia would be disturbed and rock the markets. That can't happen, thats worse than a military war.

US is an ally, whatever she does in the others parts of the world is their problem. Pak contributed in the fall of soviet union and the same is going on now, cleaning up the mess they are leaving and it might not be appreciated by the public there because of stupid media but govt and US military know how sincere Pak are being in their efforts.

For world security and peace, Pak army must be strengthened.

 

[blain2]

A few things need to be understood here before railing on the Army and its leadership.

i) Pakistan has a security assistance agreement with the US as part of the overall bilateral ties with the country. For all the good and the bad, this is a fact and in place. There is a historical precedence here in terms of military capacity building and one needs to look at how things were handled between Pakistan and the US in the 50s - 60s. Very similar approach was taken back then too.
ii) Pakistan has a certain amount of funding available (national defence budget) to it for maintaining force levels as we deem necessary based on our own threat perceptions. Most of our security posture is focused on the eastern borders and sanctioned strength of the Army is used to cater to this posture.
iii) With the start of GWOT and the blowback from Afghanistan, Pakistan has had to make significant changes which have impacted our security posture else where. We have had to move more formations into XI Corps' area of responsibility impacting our routine deployment of forces.
iv) The ask from the American side is to ensure open supply of forces remaining in Afghanistan out to 2024, and secondly to continue to push the Taliban on our side. That will require some realignment and reorganization on our side and this effort is neither cheap nor free for anyone.

While we can continue to do so with our existing commitments and force levels, it invariably has denuded our security posture in other areas. The American commitment to stay in Afghanistan until 2024 is not something that Pakistan has pushed for to get funding. Its in line with American interests and if the ask from them is to continue to secure the FATA backyard, then Pakistan will have to find funding from somewhere to support this effort.

Nobody in the Army is happy over receiving a few billion at the cost of 5000 dead and wounded. Money always comes with strings attached and nobody in Pakistan knows this better than the military, but securing the FATA has become a national imperative and Pakistan wants to use the bilateral assistance program to help with it.

Silly rhetoric and name calling won't change the fact that Pakistan and the US are in this mess together. Both sides need each other and neither can afford to walk away from this after investing heavily in blood and treasure on both sides of the Durrand line.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

Christine Fair's tantrums and histrionics whenever she is asked to comment on Pakistan are hilarious.

Did some PA General have an affair with her and then unceremoniously dump her or what? Her hysteria is the equivalent of someone launching personal attacks against someone because of some deep personal insult/injury inflicted on them.

It is almost sad to see her plunge to such shallow depths from being a relatively objective and sane geo-political analyst and commentator.

obsessive compulsive or painfully repetitive?
journalism and political analysis in its finest.... NOT

Please someone invite Desert Fighter in this threat to answer, who was barking few days ago .... We fighter our war, doesn't beg......etc.

you seem to have taken it personal for some reason
why so hurt dear? share your psychological or emotional injuries with us and we will try to address them.

you can always go and self immolate yourself in front of white house or the American embassy. but please let us know so that we have a camera ready. people on the web like to see that kind of shit.

 

[Kabira]

This year they will barely provide $1 billion, should be $5-6 billion. How much USA used to waste in Afghanistan in a month? And all they did was sit on their asses without actually clearing any area from Taliban unlike Pakistan.

 

[VCheng]

Of course there will be demands from the US, there always have been, yet the military and civilian nuclear program have continued unabated.

The US is more than likely going to demand increased security operations against militant groups, which is something that is in Pakistani national interests as well.

The transactional nature of the relationship will persist, which is okay for the short term, but belittles Pakistan in the long run to its own detriment. USA already knows that Pakistan is still trying to protect its own proxies while claiming the expenses for trying to destroy them too. This will not end well.

 

[Aepsilons]

Pakistan’s military forces last month began a ground offensive to flush militants from that semi-autonomous tribal region on the Afghan border. It is an area -- roughly the size of Connecticutwith about 700,000 residents -- that Michael Mullen, the U.S.’s former top military official, in 2010 called it the “epicenter of terrorism” and “where al-Qaeda lives.”

The United States cannot afford to sour relations with Pakistan any more, and efforts should be enhanced to salvage the alliance of these two nations. In regard of financial assistance, the United States should continue this. Stabilization of Afghanistan depends on coordination between Afghan and Pakistani military.

Pakistan is strategically indispensable.

 

[rockstar08]

Taliban bahr se fund le ker pakistanio ko maren tu sab thek ? Pakistan America se aid le ker taliban ki maaray tu Kafir lolz ..

 

[Jungibaaz]

If you don't care then why you cares about dead?
If you cares over history and present than you have chance to care future.......

The I don't care is more a figure of speech. If you think I'm saying this because I truly don't care the origins and background of our issues, then you are mistaken, but the fact that thousands of my countrymen have been slaughtered, someone will be called to answer for those, no matter what came before.

 

[babajees]

The only problem with that is "he who pays the piper calls the tune".

Couldn't have put it better.

The only problem with that is "he who pays the piper calls the tune".

Couldn't have put it better.

Again, I fail to understand the source of your anger/frustration - a majority of the Pakistani public and Pakistani political parties strongly support Pakistani military/security operations against insurgents/terrorists in FATA. Conducting those operations requires money, so if the US is willing to provide resources to conduct those operations, why does that make Pakistan a "mercenary Army"?

A "mercenary Army" would be one that ONLY fights when given money, without any interest in issues like national security. In this particular case the Pakistani Army is already fighting a war against terrorism and needs to expand that war to address the issue comprehensively. The Pakistani Army has the backing of a majority of the Pakistani public and political parties in executing this war, so why shouldn't Pakistan accept funding to conduct this war from any country willing to provide it?

Haha. You don't get it, do you. Pakistan Army only fought this because of a) Threat (which would have proved it's NOT the best army (not even near it) and B. It was getting a LOT of Money. Pls Listen to Musharraf! He is PROUD of selling 6 month olds to USA for dollars!!

Was Pakistan Army fighting BEFORE it got any dollars from US??

Taliban bahr se fund le ker pakistanio ko maren tu sab thek ? Pakistan America se aid le ker taliban ki maaray tu Kafir lolz ..

Ulta karain, phir pochain

Pakistan Amreeka sa fund la ker afghanistan aur pakistan ma musalmanon / apnay logon ko maray.. phir taliban lain to ghalat?

 

[qamar1990]

Pakistan should have allowed America to conduct air and ground operations in FATA and KPK in 2004, ye beghairati aaj waali beghairati sey faidamund hoti. Pashtuns would have focused their anger ,energies and revenge against America. Those who would have died in B-52 bombing, would have been shaheeds and this could have been simple and clean war of independence for pashtuns of FATA and KPK. But pakistan army chose dollars instead of being wise and tactical.

kp and data will never get independence..

 

[babajees]

The I don't care is more a figure of speech. If you think I'm saying this because I truly don't care the origins and background of our issues, then you are mistaken, but the fact that thousands of my countrymen have been slaughtered, someone will be called to answer for those, no matter what came before.

Why have they been slaughtered? Those responsible for it (read: Uncle Sam and co.) are our masters

 

[Jungibaaz]

Why have they been slaughtered? Those responsible for it (read: Uncle Sam and co.) are our masters

You are responsible too!

Your masters are responsible too, your masters messed and played with fire long before 2001. And in turn you the Pakistani people, you are the masters of your masters.

I understand this war more than most. Looking for someone to blame won't help you, all the problems facing Pakistan today are all YOUR fault. All of them, you were gifted with such a nation that was earned through blood, sweat and tears and YOU are doing a great job tearing it to pieces.