Posts
Pakistan closed the most crucial border crossing (NYT) for supplies to NATO-led troops in Afghanistan after an earlier attack by coalition helicopters on a Pakistani security post. The incident Thursday, which Pakistani officials said killed three Pakistani border security soldiers, followed two attacks in a week by coalition helicopters in Pakistan, fueling anger over the growing use of drone strikes. The rare border supply closure signals a deteriorating military relationship between Pakistan and the United States just three months before the Obama administration evaluates progress in Afghanistan. Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik indicated NATO strikes in Pakistan were being taken very seriously. "We will have to see whether we are allies or enemies," he said. Pakistan is an ally (WashPost) in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, but it does not allow international combat troops or operations on its soil. On Monday, Pakistan protested NATO helicopters' use of Pakistani airspace to attack insurgents in Pakistan. It called the moves a violation of the UN mandate for coalition forces in Afghanistan, which requires operations to stop at the border. NATO said it had launched an investigation (al-Jazeera) into the reports. Previously, NATO has said it has the right to self defense.
Analysis:
In the Washington Post, an adaptation of Bob Woodward's new book Obama's Wars describes President Obama's long-held view that Afghanistan was threatened by a "cancer" in Pakistan, which was a safe haven where al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban could recruit Westerners whose passports allowed them to move freely in Europe and North America.
In the Wall Street Journal, Sadanand Dhume says Pakistan could learn about economic growth and confronting terrorism from former eastern province Bangladesh.
On Stratfor, George Friedman says Obama is "not going to order a complete withdrawal of all combat forces any time soon--the national (and international) political alignment won't support such a step. At the same time, remaining in Afghanistan is unlikely to achieve any goal and leaves potential rivals like China and Russia freer rein."
No comments:
Post a Comment