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'US needs Pakistan more than Pakistan needs US'
Former US ambassador to India says trappings of a US-Pak relationship are causing some heartburn in India.
Former US ambassador to India says trappings of a US-Pak relationship are causing some heartburn in India.
The United States “needs Pakistan more than the latter needs America”, a former US ambassador to India said on Tuesday.
“We tend to need Pakistan more than Pakistan needs us. That’s the current dilemma, because in many ways the US is utterly dependent on Pakistan for logistical access to Afghanistan,” former US Ambassador to India, Thomas Pickering, told the National Bureau of Asian Research, a Washington-based think tank in an interview.
“In some respects this situation is paradoxical, because in my own view the US is in Afghanistan more to avoid destabilising Pakistan than for almost any other reason. It is utterly strange that at the same time that we are in Afghanistan trying to help Pakistan, the Pakistanis see our struggle against the Afghan Taliban as a struggle against erstwhile allies,” Pickering said.
On the one hand, India is flattered, or was in the past, by the notion that the US sees it as the largest and most significant power in South Asia, while Pakistan finds that view utterly reprehensible, he said.
“Pakistanis would like American aspirations and interests in the region to afford them a position of full equality. To some extent, that went the way of the past with President Clinton. Now with Afghanistan, the trappings of a US-Pakistan relationship are causing some degree of heartburn in India.”
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Reader Comments (13)
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Its no rocket science to figure this one out. If I recall correctly not so long ago Fatima Bhutto in one of her lectures said the same thing. A counter argument as she mentioned could be that we are directly dependent on US Aid, but The Billions of Dollars that Pakistan receives does not get funneled down to the common man in Pakistan, but instead funds our military and foreign trips.Recommend
pakistan was cruicial state in 1947 in 1979 and in 2002 u need pakistan because u know
u can not stay in south asia india can not be power even in hundred years reason there
population and security india is start thinking power since 2000 when the war started. hahahhahahahah.Recommend
LOL.. I guess Pakistan knows that very well :) Keep the $$$$ coming aye :)Recommend
I don’t think so.Recommend
Keep dreamingRecommend
@ safir – your comments make no sense friend.Recommend
The war against terror can not be won, if Pakistan is an ally …Recommend
Another diversion. If you believe this crap in the 21st century with drones, your more stupid than gullible.Recommend
Both are Catholic Couples so don’t expect any divorce from either.Recommend
@safir:
I think you were typing while laughing and ended up typing gibberish. Next time laugh first and type next or the other way round.Recommend
Ofcourse US needs Pakistan more than Pakistan hates india. ISI is so smart and they know what US needs and other hand India is heartburn to death by billion of $$$$ coming to pakistan and making military and ISI even more stronger and ISI been working with CIA for last 60 years and indian never get the chance.Recommend
What rubbish. US needs Pakistan to win a war. Pakistan needs US to survive!
Remember, if the US decides to isolates you not only the US, you will be isolated by EU, Japan, Canada, UK,etc., essentially well over half of World’s GDP. Also, US virtually controls International financial institutions like IMF, WB.etc.
Where will Pakistan get the money to survive? China showed how much it cares by initially offering lesser money than even India in the recent floods!
Stop carrying such news which carry so many lies.Recommend
Its a real disturbing fact but its a fact.The game is on for over ten years and the US is caught in the mud without helping by pakistan the us will not be able to pull out.As with Pakistan we know that the US is controlling but seriously isnt that control becoming weaker and weaker and states like and Organizations like EU and SCO and causing fears in US.Everything cannot be solved with bombs and tomahawks.US always gain tactical gains but loose the strategic battle.case of iraq and afghanistan and now trying the same in Libya.Recommend