Pakistan -- Friend or Foe

Ed Mechenbier, Communications Assistant, Dayton, Ohio

This past weekend, NATO Airpower struck two Pakistani military posts and killing, according to Pakistani officials, 24 soldiers. Pakistan called the raid unprovoked. US and Afghani forces stated they were fired upon and called in supporting Airpower. In retaliation, Pakistan shut down all ground supply routes through its country and gave the US two weeks to leave a Pakistani air base that was used to launch and recover remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) for operations in the Pakistani tribal areas.

The cooling of relations with Pakistan has been a long time coming. From the US perspective, the Pak military has supported the Taliban on and off over the past two decades. Additionally, the military seemingly has harbored Usama Bin Laden and a host of other Taliban leaders. The country’s leadership has entered into an agreement with the leaders in the tribal areas to “live and let live.” The safe haven provided by the Pak military has resulted in many lost US and NATO lives. From the Pakistan perspective, the US has repeated encroached on its sovereignty, not supported them with military assistance – especially after they tested nuclear weapons in the 1990s, and has not treated them as an ally in any sense of the word. No doubt there are several organizations which will benefit from a frosty US-Pakistan relationship – the Taliban and the Haqanni network to name a few.

Fortunately the US has alternatives to the Pakistani imposed steps. Its RPA can be based in Afghanistan. They are already flown and operated from bases in the US. It can resupply its forces from the air. And it can keep pressure on the enemy from the air. Airpower has been remarkably effective in the region – accounting for killing or capturing 63 senior Al Qaida leaders – as opposed to only 9 from ground forces … and at a fraction of the cost of both lives and treasure.

It is, perhaps, not all bad that US-Pakistan relations have a cooling-off period. We both need each other if we are to succeed in Afghanistan and the region. Is Pakistan a friend or a foe? The answer is Yes.