The inability of Pakistan to get the American authorization on these engines not only speaks to how bad the relationship is, but also speaks to the abysmal nature of our negotiating skills. I have sat in some of these meetings (multi-country sessions), and the fawning and lack of focus in some of these sessions makes one want to throw up. From platitudes to long speeches, to idiosyncratic and all over the map expectations and asks, to zero strategic planning and preparation, it is embarrassing sometimes to listen to our bureaucrats and politicians (I wear a technocrat hat). Whereas on the other side the American's let the Pakistanis speak and speak and speak their way out of any meaningful ask. Generals also make lousy negotiators, but their egos have to be stoked and our adversaries take full advantage of that.