Comments on: Friction Between U.S. And Pakistan Over Talk Of U.S. Military Action http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:49:57 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: GreenDreams http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-92038 GreenDreams Tue, 24 Jul 2007 03:31:17 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-92038 Good comment, jdledell. We need to use our resources, as you say, for development, not destruction. We continue to pour our resources, and the blood of our troops, into the fantasy that we can kill our way to peace. Good comment, jdledell. We need to use our resources, as you say, for development, not destruction. We continue to pour our resources, and the blood of our troops, into the fantasy that we can kill our way to peace.

]]> By: More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Even Alive · Articles http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-91897 More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Even Alive · Articles Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:23:02 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-91897 [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...] [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...]

]]> By: More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Even Alive · New York Articles http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-91895 More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Even Alive · New York Articles Mon, 23 Jul 2007 02:17:28 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-91895 [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...] [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...]

]]> By: More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Alive · Articles http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-91892 More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Alive · Articles Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:18:40 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-91892 [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...] [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...]

]]> By: More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Alive · New York Articles http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-91891 More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Alive · New York Articles Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:15:02 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-91891 [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...] [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...]

]]> By: More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Alive » The Moderate Voice http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-91889 More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Alive » The Moderate Voice Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:02:15 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-91889 [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...] [...] we noted in our post below, both the United States and Pakistan are walking tightropes on their relationship in the war [...]

]]> By: jdledell http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-91886 jdledell Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:39:10 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-91886 Joe - This is REALLY one tough nut for the US. There is no question that the tribal areas of Pakistan represent a threat to the US and our friends. However, unless we can get Pakistan do actually do the work of cleaning out AlQaeda, I don't think we have any good options. We have put all our eggs in Musharraf's basket with our $10 billion in primarily military aid. However, he really doesn't have the country behind him. Not that the majority of people love Islamic extremists but they do hate the dictatorship and the fact that massive amounts of money are going to Musharraf's buddies in the armed forces and not to their development. We have to start appealing to all the people of Pakistan with development aid - not just to people of the tribal areas. We could start by doing a trade deal on apparel - the biggest industry in Pakistan. Helping to build middle class wages will do more for America's interests than more military aid. If we invaded and/or bombed the tribal areas, my fear, reading the Pakistani press, is that the army might fracture and we would lose the support of the majority of Pakistani people. We then have Iraq writ large with an Islamic bomb. Our deal with Musharraf illustrates the short term thinking of our current foreign policy. We made a deal to give short term military aid and backed up a dictator. There was no plan B, now 6 years later, if Musharraf could not handle it and no longer term approach to bring Pakistan into a true supporter of our terrorism efforts. Joe – This is REALLY one tough nut for the US. There is no question that the tribal areas of Pakistan represent a threat to the US and our friends. However, unless we can get Pakistan do actually do the work of cleaning out AlQaeda, I don’t think we have any good options.

We have put all our eggs in Musharraf’s basket with our $10 billion in primarily military aid. However, he really doesn’t have the country behind him. Not that the majority of people love Islamic extremists but they do hate the dictatorship and the fact that massive amounts of money are going to Musharraf’s buddies in the armed forces and not to their development.

We have to start appealing to all the people of Pakistan with development aid – not just to people of the tribal areas. We could start by doing a trade deal on apparel – the biggest industry in Pakistan. Helping to build middle class wages will do more for America’s interests than more military aid.

If we invaded and/or bombed the tribal areas, my fear, reading the Pakistani press, is that the army might fracture and we would lose the support of the majority of Pakistani people. We then have Iraq writ large with an Islamic bomb.

Our deal with Musharraf illustrates the short term thinking of our current foreign policy. We made a deal to give short term military aid and backed up a dictator. There was no plan B, now 6 years later, if Musharraf could not handle it and no longer term approach to bring Pakistan into a true supporter of our terrorism efforts.

]]> By: University Update - Iraq - Friction Between U.S. And Pakistan Over Talk Of U.S. Military Action http://themoderatevoice.com/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/comment-page-1/#comment-91883 University Update - Iraq - Friction Between U.S. And Pakistan Over Talk Of U.S. Military Action Sun, 22 Jul 2007 23:47:14 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/foreign-affairs/14167/friction-between-us-and-pakistan-over-talk-of-us-military-action/#comment-91883 [...] House Link to Article iraq Friction Between U.S. And Pakistan Over Talk Of U.S. Military Action » [...] [...] House Link to Article iraq Friction Between U.S. And Pakistan Over Talk Of U.S. Military Action » [...]

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