'Smart diplomacy' fails to move Pakistan

NY Times:

Frustrations Grow as U.S. and Pakistan Fail to Mend Ties


A visit by President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan to Chicago for last week’s NATO summit meeting underscored the mistrust and political chasms that mark an uneasy alliance.
Pakistan has become an enemy state since Obama took office.  It openly refuses to do anything about enemy sanctuaries that are the bases for attacks on Afghanistan and our troops there.  It has cut off supply lines through the country acting like a troll demanding ludicrous $5,000 per vehicle tolls to transport supplies.  In hindsight, it was probably a mistake by the Bush administration to help push Musharraf  out of office.  He at least was not a thief.

Pakistan not only will not do anything about enemy force using its territory it claims sovereignty over, while refusing to exercise sovereignty over the people attacking us.  At the same time it claims sovereignty should prevent us from striking back at the enemy.  While the government is a problem, it probably reflects the attitude of the religious bigot majority within the country.

If nothing changes, it is likely that we will be at war with Pakistan in 2014 as we try to withdraw our forces from Afghanistan.  It may mean a fighting withdrawal and the seizing of the port of Karachi in order to get our equipment out.  It something we should be planning for and we probably should let the Pakistanis know it is a possibility.  that might get them to reconsider their current intransigence.

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