@Stealth : dont try to play over-clever sir.
We respect our responsibilities, if some people were half the men they think they are they would join the PAK Army to be on the front line, but its just that the cosy atmosphere of a sitting room and drawing room has got the best of them. there is no other institution in PAK as disciplined as army. I will not argue with any here - they are free to have their own opinion.
If some are so depressed over being born in Pakistan, then there is no cure for them lot.
In my opinion Pak Army is doing a splendid job, and they need not worry about being over or undervalued by a non concerning entity be it anyone.
As far as our foreign policy and love hate relation with the US, mistakes and paradoxes (my opinion only), please refer to my last post on this thread.
Regards
the problem with this alliance of WoT is that its an alliance of convenience and somewhat lack of choice. the premise is the 9/11 atrocity and Pakistan's proximity with the Afghan regime that was hosting OBL and his organization. although Pakistan & America together played their parts in supporting the Taliban in the beginning but by the time OBL had decided to become their permanent guest, the Taliban had grown out of the influence of their mentors. Americans came to destroy the organization and its leadership they nominated the responsibility of the 9/11 attack. A shotgun marriage was arranged with Pakistan as a very weak partner.
Such alliance has its flaws no matter how well meaning and honest this partnership is because of abnormal disparity in strength and size of one partner compared to the other. If its successful the winner (stronger party) will take all (the credit) and if there are complications and failure then the weaker partner will have to bear the blame.
The other issue is the differencing aims from this war. Americans are almost reaching the conclusion of their reason to invade Afghanistan. Now their goals might be different if they want to stay in the region. They have Iran and China in their gunsight.
Pakistan has had to take a full U turn in its policy vis-à-vis Afghanistan from being a silent spectator( once Taliban became independent of its guidance ) to actually a partner of an invader who blamed Taliban equally like Al Qaeda for the global terrorism. This is the challenge Musharraf faced where he has tried his best to sell this idea of dismissing the Taliban version of Islam and to date its a big struggle because despite all the terrorism and all the exposure of Taliban has not convinced the people of Pakistan 100% that radicalization is a bad idea and Taliban version of Islam is a very very bad idea for the future of Pakistan.
it is really novice and amateur to argue that Pakistan was still controlling them or somehow it is still controlling them. they had made the universal sign of the middle finger to pretty much the whole world by when they were destroying Buddha and ethnically cleansing hazaras and butchering the residents of captured towns they won from Northern Alliance. Pakistanis were only burring their heads in sand and wishing God that the taliban dont bring their menace to Pakistan but the work was already under way and country had many places like Lal masjid that was breeding a certain mindset. the funds had no limit thanks to the pretodollars coming via hundi from the Middle East
But all of this above just a background story. The question is why our military feels undervalued despite its achievements and the sacrifices it had to make in the war on terror. Problem is because this partnership has not achieved the desired results despite putting in the 22nd century technology and the billions of dollars worth of resources against a rag tag militia. Being a weaker partner it will have to take all the blame. Thats the law of nature. The alpha male of the pack takes the lions share of the kill (win) and once he has his full then the subordinates make do with the leftovers but when the hunt fails, the weaker one is bitten, evicted or even devoured by the stronger members of the same pack.
Reasons for American failure in Afghanistan have been discussed many time on the airwaves and the web. And its better to open yet another thread for further discussion or post in already existing many threads in this forum. Maybe Pakistan military would have still felt undervalued had this war gone according to the plan and we have had captured OBL and Taliban leadership when NATO attacked Tora Bora and had closed all routes instead of allowing them to escape. (do look that up and be surprised if anyone cant recall that).
It shouldnt b e only be American reason to feel undervalued. The sleep walking Pakistani population that still views Osama and Mullah omar more favorably over current and previous leadership is another issue. The are Lal masjid and TTP sympathizers who actually mock Pakistan army over the incidents of friendly fire incidents with ISAF/ American forces or when the TTP strikes.
