Pakistan: America’s friend and America’s enemy
Because we live in a time when the extraordinary has become ordinary, few people even batted at eye last week at remarks by America’s senior military official, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In testimony to a Senate committee, Mullen publicly accused Pakistan — an American ally and recipient of $2 billion a year in military aid — of helping to carry out both a deadly, high-profile attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul and the truck bombing of a NATO base that wounded 77 soldiers.
The Pakistan-based Haqqani network, which carried out the attacks, “acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency,” Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“With ISI support, Haqqani operatives planned and conducted that truck bomb attack, as well as the assault on our embassy,” he continued. “We also have credible evidence that they were behind the June 28th attack against the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul and a host of other smaller but effective operations.”
Questions about Pakistan’s reliability as an ally are hardly new; U.S. officials have long been critical of the level of cooperation it provided, particularly after Osama bin Laden was discovered living near a Pakistani army base. However, it’s one thing to question how much active support an ally is providing; it’s something else entirely to accuse that ally of participating in acts of war against you. After all, that is the action of an enemy, not an ally.
Given that Mullen chose to make such a charge publicly, you have to believe that the evidence to support it must be very strong, and that the behavior he condemned is part of a longstanding pattern. Indeed, the New York Times reports today on a 2007 attack on U.S. military personnel by Pakistani forces that killed Maj. Larry J. Bauguess Jr., the father of two young girls. The incident was hushed up at the time because of its political impact.
And yet, even in his testimony to the Senate last week, Mullen defended ongoing attempts to reach out to Pakistan, arguing that “a flawed and difficult relationship is better than no relationship at all. Some may argue I’ve wasted my time, that Pakistan is no closer to us than before, and may now have drifted even further away. I disagree. Military cooperation again is warming.”
Again, only in extraordinary times can a military official accuse an ally of backing attacks on our forces, then turn around and in that same session claim that military cooperation is warming. Yet frustrating as it is, Mullen’s testimony accurately reflects the tortured realities of our effort in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Yes, Pakistan harbors and aids Taliban guerrillas who attack our forces. Yet Pakistan also serves as a critical conduit for supplies needed to keep our forces in Afghanistan fed, armed and fueled. (In the past year, U.S. forces have sharply reduced their reliance on Pakistani supply routes, but it remains significant.) So while we have no reason to trust Pakistan, we do find the relationship useful. And they no doubt feel the same way about us.
The question is what comes next. The public nature of Mullen’s criticism suggests that the United States may be building a case for direct action against Haqqani guerrillas in their Pakistani bases, including perhaps ground action. If Pakistan won’t address the problem on its own soil, the implication is that the United States will.
With the bulk of U.S. and NATO forces scheduled to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, you get the idea that reducing the threat posed by the Haqqani network is high on the generals’ to-do list.
– Jay Bookman
Mullen’s testimony
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
244 comments Add your comment
Joe COOL
September 27th, 2011
1:26 pm
So, Jay, remember how you said Palin wouldn’t sue that author guy?
Well….”
I hope they bring Glen Rice up to discuss “details” of the book..lol
Waheema
September 27th, 2011
1:26 pm
Finally the Obama administration is not takiing direct action off the table as the first step in a negotiation. For too long the ivory tower rookies in the academic heavy Obama machine have been putting their ridiculous “soft power” notions to work at our expense. I have no interest in fighting with Pakistan but why start the negotiation by giving up a strong card?
The admiral likely said what he said at Hilary’s direction. Its a sign that perhaps the adults are in charge. Don’t tell Obama or Biden.
DebbieDoRight
September 27th, 2011
1:27 pm
This term was one of the first to make it into my upcoming “The King’s Politically Correct English.”
If you find a publisher let me know. I’m looking for a publisher of my “upcoming book” too. I call it “Cheney, Bush, Saxby and Isaakson — It’s true, you can actually be a hero AND smart by just staying at a Holiday Inn Express!” my subtitle can be “You Really Don’t Have 2 B Smart 2 B a Mouthpiece!
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
1:28 pm
Curious–how many of the folks who now so bravely declare that going to war in Afghanistan was a stupid idea to begin with and Obama is a buffoon for not bringin’ all the troops home yesterday if not sooner, were among the 10-20,000 or so out there in the streets in DC, on Sept 29, 2001, protesting the original invasion?
Show of hands?
Thought not.
H.W. Fowler
September 27th, 2011
1:31 pm
“You seem to believe that Islam has a monopoly on atrocoty. Check out the history of the Catholic Church in medieval Europe. Do such evils exist? Sure. But they didn’t begin, nor will they end with Isalm.”
Of course not. But I rather imagine few people went around dismissing others’ quite legitimate fears of the Catholic Church as “catholophobes.” That’s the point.
H.W. Fowler
September 27th, 2011
1:34 pm
“I call it “Cheney, Bush, Saxby and Isaakson — It’s true, you can actually be a hero AND smart by just staying at a Holiday Inn Express!” my subtitle can be “You Really Don’t Have 2 B Smart 2 B a Mouthpiece!”
Wow…that’s a mouthful. I’m wondering if such a long title will even fit on the cover? Might I suggest you expand the scope of the book to include almost everyone (given that we have all been unthinking “mouthpieces” of one idea or another from time to time)?
Joe Mama
September 27th, 2011
1:35 pm
H. W. Fowler — “But I rather imagine few people went around dismissing others’ quite legitimate fears of the Catholic Church as “catholophobes.” That’s the point.”
I take issue with your implicit characterization of the fear of Islam and of both things and adherents Islamic as “quite legitimate.”
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
1:38 pm
The admiral likely said what he said at Hilary’s direction. Its a sign that perhaps the adults are in charge.
Oy to the vey. I continue to be amazed at the percentage of conservatives who now consider Saint Hitlery/Hildebeast of the Sacred Cookie-Baking to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. Particularly when I consider what they’d be saying about her, had she secured the nomination and was actually President today.
Mick
September 27th, 2011
1:42 pm
sfd@1:38
Ain’t it the truth?
RB from Gwinnett
September 27th, 2011
1:43 pm
SFD, Hillary would be a HUGE improvement over what we have now. By comparison, she looks like a friggin genius.
(ir)Rational
September 27th, 2011
1:45 pm
RB – I believe she is a genius. Possibly an evil genius, almost definitely a misguided one, but way better than what we’ve got now.
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
1:49 pm
Hillary would be a HUGE improvement over what we have now.
and if she were president, and Obama were merely (say) a cabinet member, you’d be telling us to give the nice half-Negro a chance, and to boot The Cankle/Cackler from the white house.
You guys, seriously, you’re not fooling anyone with this crap.
Pragmatic Matti
September 27th, 2011
1:52 pm
Haha! Y’all are TOO funny. Hey guess what? The Democratic Party just called and said Hillary Clinton is going to primary Obama and give us an alternative to this current disaster. Really? YEAH! Sure, it might divide the Democratic vote, but that’s okay because the righties now respect and admire her too. Sure! We’ll go ahead and make that happen since we have bi-partisan support on this. Hahaha! Sure we will.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
September 27th, 2011
1:52 pm
sfd, the righties suffer the “grass is greener” syndrome (are they smoking it?)….. Trump looked great, till he jumped in. Palin looked great until she became VP material. Perry looked great til he jumped in…… Cain looked good, until…. Now they want Christie…. In the Republican party, everybody get’s their 15 minutes to be the “leader” for President.
Hillary was also up there with Pelosi and Reid as part of the “evil”….. until she lost the campaign. Now she is a genius I tell you!
DebbieDoRight
September 27th, 2011
1:53 pm
Might I suggest you expand the scope of the book to include almost everyone (given that we have all been unthinking “mouthpieces” of one idea or another from time to time)?
Its still in the planning stages. But to be a true mouthpiece you must have a national audience so, anyone NOT on the national level just won’t work. Sorry.
RB: SFD, Hillary would be a HUGE improvement over what we have now. By comparison, she looks like a friggin genius
Hillary would’ve had you repubs crapping in your pants. The FIRST thing she woud’ve done was bring Cheney, Bush et al up on charges of sedition, perjury, and probably throw in kicking small puppies too. THEN she would’ve went after Faux News by testing the validity of a foreigner owning a major news outlet in America. THEN she would’ve had Karl Rove thrown in jail for impersonating a human being.
Hey be glad, very, very, VERY glad that you guys have Obama in office. You’ve made significant gains with Obama that Clinton would’ve laughed at and threw back into the repubs faces.
She would’ve created the dawn of a new era, “The End Of Slavish Loyalty To Insanity”. Oh and just for kicks, she would’ve FORCED repubs to read about things that make their heads explode — things like GLOBAL WARMING and ACCESS TO BIRTH CONTROL FOR TEENS — at High Schools!!!
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
1:53 pm
And I post this not just because I happened to see some Tea-Tard driving around with a “Hillary 2012″ sticker affixed to his beater car over the weekend. The conservatives have been pretty transparent about their motives ever since the Excrement in Broadcasting rather pathetically attempted to stage a phony primary insurrection, three years ago.
(ir)Rational
September 27th, 2011
1:54 pm
sfd – I don’t think there is anything at all that could ever change my mind about Obama. Even as a kid, I recognized that Clinton was a good president, even if I didn’t agree with him. He made some mistakes sure, but I think he got most of his decisions right. I also think that Hillary learned from him while he was in office and would have come in with the ability to lead, and possibly to have made this a better country. You don’t know me, no matter what you may think, and you definitely don’t get to speak for me, or say what I would or wouldn’t think of someone.
Jm
September 27th, 2011
1:55 pm
And Romney is going to thump Obama
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
1:56 pm
The FIRST thing she woud’ve done was bring Cheney, Bush et al up on charges
Given her husband’s utter lack of interest in pursuing / prosecuting previous Reagan/Bush international shenanigans, I find this hypothetical almost laughably preposterous.
Jay
September 27th, 2011
1:57 pm
sheets
stands for decibels
September 27th, 2011
1:58 pm
You don’t know me, no matter what you may think, and you definitely don’t get to speak for me
True that. I was actually speaking to RB, though.
Bosch
September 27th, 2011
2:05 pm
“Even as a kid, I recognized that Clinton was a good president, even if I didn’t agree with him.”
So, irRAtional, as a kid, did you seriously ponder Presidential matters and policy implications?
I was into Star Wars — the movie, not the defense system.
DebbieDoRight
September 27th, 2011
2:06 pm
She is NOT her husband. Deal with it.
H.W. Fowler
September 27th, 2011
2:07 pm
“I take issue with your implicit characterization of the fear of Islam and of both things and adherents Islamic as “quite legitimate.””
Do you take issue with the fear of the Catholic Church during the 14-16th centuries?
(ir)Rational
September 27th, 2011
2:09 pm
Bosch – I had a boring childhood. Grew-up not even knowing about Star Wars until it was re-released in the late 90s (yeah, I blame my parents too). But yeah, seriously, I knew what was going on in the world as a child. Didn’t understand it all, but I did know about it. Probably that whole “lack of cable” thing, where the only tv shows I got to watch were “This Old House” and the local and national news.
Joe Mama
September 27th, 2011
2:10 pm
Jm — “And Romney is going to thump Obama”
Yes! Just like he thumped McCain in 2008 to win the GOP nomination!
Wait, wut?
(laughing)
Joe Mama
September 27th, 2011
2:10 pm
H. W. Fowler — “Do you take issue with the fear of the Catholic Church during the 14-16th centuries?”
Whose fear, exactly?
Pakistan Warns US to End ‘Negative Messaging’ on Militancy – Voice of America | pakistan news
September 27th, 2011
2:15 pm
[...] holds anti-US protest ralliesAFPU.S.Pakistan ties grow increasingly strainedPoliticoCBS News -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 2,309 news [...]
JIMBOB (aka James Robert)
September 27th, 2011
2:44 pm
In general, the dumbest of the dumb are manipulated to hate Israel via the lies of US leaders and the propagandists that fill US media, while remaining entirely accepting of the fact that the US is sending billions of dollars to a country that gladly helps kill US soldiers and foments anti civil rights bigotry.
The real Fletch
September 27th, 2011
3:10 pm
Ugh – what a mess. Why can we make synthetic oil and not synthetic gasoline? How great would it be to tell them to kiss our a55es? “Enjoy the 11th century yall – we’re outty.”
williebkind
September 27th, 2011
3:17 pm
Well since the progressive liberals wont let the military carpent bomb, I guess it makes sense to come home. But if they come over here I expect every liberal regardless of education to join the military(but not as officers) and kick them out.
williebkind
September 27th, 2011
3:20 pm
JIMBOB (aka James Robert)
September 27th, 2011
2:44 pm
Huh?
Willy Shakespeare
September 27th, 2011
3:22 pm
Cry HAVOC! and let slip the dogs of war!
Laurie
September 27th, 2011
3:25 pm
The US can make better use of that $2 billion a year in military aid. I say Congress needs to cut that out of our budget when we have our next “shutdown showdown”, which will be in about 7 weeks.
Trotsky Foxtrot
September 27th, 2011
3:37 pm
Capitalism must be smashed
Thulsa Doom
September 27th, 2011
3:43 pm
Bosch and Aquagirl,
Panic attack? I drove up to Pennsylavania this weekend for a cousin’s army retirement ceremony and on the way I passed over the New River Gorge bridge in the mountains of West Virginia. Scary. At 876 feet high from top to bottom you get butterflys looking over the side in a car. The gorge below is so deep that most of the time you can’t see the bottom from the mist and cloud cover. Its the 2nd highest bridge in the U.S. behind one in the Colorado rockies. Click on this link and you will knows what I mean.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=new%20river%20gorge%20bridge&PQ=New%20River%20go&SP=2&QS=AS&SK=AS1&sc=16-12&form=CPNTSS&pc=CPNTDF
Adam
September 27th, 2011
3:45 pm
williebkind: But if they come over here I expect every liberal regardless of education to join the military(but not as officers) and kick them out.
You lost me. Who is coming over where and what is the reason for limiting them to enlisted status?
Corey
September 27th, 2011
3:50 pm
For those who say the only thing they like about Mr. Obama is his going after and killing terrorists. You may want to familiarize yourselves with the oath the president takes. Defend and protect is primarily the entire oath. Jobs, economy etc. are nowhere to be found in the oath of office for the president. Sure Congress can toss dollars into the economy to replace lost private wealth and prop up the GDP without going totally socialist, but even that has its limits. We are in this for the long haul, and there is no super man waiting in the wings who can create a magic potion for an ailing, globally connected economy. There is no must-have big ticket item just invented that Americans feel compelled to go out and buy. Ipads and smart phones won’t do the trick. Our last hooray was the internet/dot com bubble which fizzled at the end of the last decade. The gretest purchase which has multiplier affects is a house. We all no where the housing market is now.
Corey
September 27th, 2011
4:07 pm
I remeber the nineties. Halfway into his first term in office Mr. Clinton was all but tarred and feathered by the Republicans. And his wife was a secondary target. The Republicans went after the Clintons without mercy. Rush Limbaugh served up daily doses of vile regarding the Clintons. The mid-term elections saw Congress turn majority Republican, and Americans were ready to throw Mr. Clinton under the bus. Two things salvaged Mr. Clinton’s presidency: the dot com bubble and shut’er down Newt. Compared to Mr. Clinton, the Republicans have been nice to Mr. Obama.
Jack
September 27th, 2011
4:09 pm
“Screw us over”, the man said. Yep, that’s the view most of the world has of the USA. We’re an easy mark and we have a man in the White House who advocates we bend over even further.
Corey
September 27th, 2011
4:18 pm
If Ms. Clinton had won the presidency I gurantee you the Republicans would have had some unfinished business to take care of. Every month would have brought this or that charge, investigations and hearing after hearing. Never in the history of this great nation has a first family experienced such loathing by the opposition. Rush and company even went after their daughter.
Corey
September 27th, 2011
4:27 pm
Sure Jack, like the 200+ Marines who were unarmed, sitting ducks in Lebanon between two warring factions and lost their lives due to a truck bomb. We were told that having them there was to show our presence, and that would make a difference. Best I can remember after the incident we did cut and run. I believe Mr. Reagan was commander in chief then. You mean someone tough like him? Is that what you are implying? Maybe someone who had to admit after saying “We did not trade arma for hostages.” Said “We did indeed trade arms for hostages.” Someone like that, Jack?
More Thoughts on Pakistan… | AdvertisingToday
September 27th, 2011
5:07 pm
[...] I read an article in the AJC (Atlanta Journal of Constitution) Blog written by Jay Bookman called “Pakistan: America’s Friend and American’s Enemy” in response to Admiral Mike Mullen’s, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testimony [...]
Marqwaysha
September 27th, 2011
5:46 pm
“…publicly accused Pakistan — an American ally and recipient of $2 billion a year in military aid — of helping to carry out both a deadly, high-profile attack on the U.S. embassy in Kabul and the truck bombing of a NATO base that wounded 77 soldiers.”
Pakistan reminds me of the Lt. Milo Minderbinder character in “Catch 22″.