Why did it take Washington more than seven months to apologize for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers? It’s because the United States and Pakistan have the most neurotic, mutually destructive “friendly” relationship in the world.
According to Washington Post, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finally said the magic words in a July 3 phone call to her Pakistani counterpart, “We are sorry for the losses suffered by the Pakistani military.” A tepid apology, but enough that the Pakistanis agreed to reopen the border crossings into Afghanistan that had been closed since the Nov. 26 accidental attack.
This story is even stranger than has been reported. The Obama administration had reached a tentative decision to express regret months ago. But it balked after it had to apologize for another agonizing mistake, the February 22 accidental burning of Quran at Bagram air base.
A further delay resulted when Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar advised that an apology should wait until Pakistan’s parliament was in session.
It would be nice if the case of the delayed apology was an unusual example of US-Pakistani mistrust. But it’s unfortunately a classic illustration of what’s so odd about this relationship. The two countries talk about strategic cooperation one month and feud the next.
They claim to be allies against terrorism, even as each side’s intelligence service conducts operations the other regards as hostile.
A useful bridge in this neurotic relationship was Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Washington. He tried to maintain dialogue across the gulf of suspicion and also tried to represent the frail civilian government, as opposed to the overpowering Pakistani military.
What did Haqqani get for his trouble? He was fired after accusations that he was a traitor. He’s now preparing to teach this fall at Boston University, which is good for students there but a waste for Pakistan.
When you look back at the past few years of this relationship, what is striking is how the two countries always seem to be sulking — feeling unappreciated and ill-used. Since an open breach doesn’t suit either side, they avoid a final rupture. But the bad feeling has hardened to something dark and dense.
For examples of how crazy this relationship can be, consider two instances when President Obama tried to convey the message — something between a plea and a demand — for better Pakistani cooperation against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Both times he got, basically, zilch.
Obama sent a secret presidential letter dated Nov. 11, 2009, that stated: “We must find new and better ways to work together to disrupt (the extremists’) ability to plan attacks against targets in Pakistan, the region and beyond — including the United States — so that we can eventually destroy its networks.”
The response from President Asif Ali Zardari was likely drafted by Pakistani intelligence. “Let me right at the outset unequivocally reaffirm the resolve of the people of Pakistan to fight and uproot terrorism,” the letter began. But it spun off into a wild allegation of an Indian-backed “proxy war in which neighboring intelligence agencies are using Afghan soil to perpetrate violence in Pakistan.”
Haqqani is said to have warned Islamabad that an ambivalent Pakistani response would be seen as unacceptable. The message apparently didn’t register.
Obama met in the White House on October 20, 2010, with Pakistani army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
According to one account, Obama warned that “trust does not happen overnight, but it has to happen. Otherwise we will be on a collision course.” As for the alleged threat posed by America’s rapprochement with India, Obama said flatly: “Your intelligence is wrong. You are hearing from the president of the United States that the US wants a strong, stable Pakistan.”
And what was Kayani’s response? He handed Obama a 14-page memo titled “Pakistan’s Perspective” that said in its concluding section: “Pakistan is being made a scapegoat. US is ‘intrusive’ and ‘overbearing’ — wants to micromanage. US is causing and maintaining a controlled chaos in Pakistan. The real aim of US strategy is to de-nuclearize Pakistan.”
Still, said Kayani in the memo’s final passage: “At the end of the day, we would like to be standing in the right corner of the room.” So would America, especially as it begins withdrawing combat troops from Afghanistan.
So maybe we should be thankful for the bizarre behavior surrounding this month’s tepid apology. The crazy couple is patching up another quarrel. The soap opera continues. Better that than a nasty finale.
Good show General Kiyani 😀
He’s a brave son of the nation!
Shan Ul Haq Joseph
Thanks God they have started realizing
Was such a reply to the President of America possible from any civilian leadership ? or the civilian leadership used Gen Kiyani to pass on this message as they did not hv the guts to do same themselves…..which shows who is more patriotic.
Obama was right that @Trust does not happen overnight@.. Civilian Govt huh! They can't even look straight in the eyes of even a US Ambassador, and you expect them to handover that memo.
Thanks God they have started realizing
how much isi paid u for stupid nonsense article on one side reopen supply line and other side this pure munifiqaat
The amount you received from RAW for writing these comments. You people seem to have lost your ethical sense. Cannot appreciate a good work. Could your bezar politicians even write such memo? Yes you will certainly like the Memo, initiated by Haqqani.
Good show General Kiyani 😀
all pakistanis are with pak army.
This man has some balls, you got to admit!!!
He's a brave son of the nation!
Shan Ul Haq Joseph
That is why a Weasel like Asif Ali Zardari was placed in the Presidency with help of two other Weasels, one heading the MQM and other ANP as '' Three in bed is better than two.'' Zardari has two choices given by his mentors do their bidding or land behind bars in US losing all your assets!
SPOT ON Kiyani. Thats what we believed right after 9/11.
Thanks God they have started realizing
SPOT ON Kiyani. Thats what we believed right after 9/11.
A nation fueled by hubris…and nothing else to back it up.
The day America decides to de-nuclearize Pakistan, they will come openly. I have lived in the US for over half my life, went to college here, and I can say confidentially the US does not want to touch Pakistan's nukes, so Pakistanis need not be paranoid about it.
This Article is another piece of Scary Story to create False Picture, No Doubt US Wants This, But Question is Will they do? No off course Not, They admitted it many times. If Kiyani is So much Patriotic then He must not send Memos only, on other side he always warm welcome all US Delegations in his private discussions, Himslef allow Nato for supply line, himself allow CIA Black Water in big cities to interfere, Even now they are living in Cantt areas of Lahore. Mr.Kiyani's face has already been OFF he is saving his Face by making such stuff.
Does kiayani realize how stupid he looks at his age with jet black hair? If he is trying to hold on to his youth he is failing miserably just like everything else he has attempted to do in his professional life. Trying to be somebody he's not only makes him look like a clown. He should spend more time attending to his professional duties than coloring his hair.
I think Gen Kayani did an excellant job. The most tragic part is our fraud degree, illiterate, selfish and criminal minded Politians, who can't even look into the eyes of CNN lady anchor.
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