[taesrom]

The fact that Mr. bin Laden was living a comfy existence in a fortified mansion in a military-dominated town in Pakistan has led to heightened questions about Pakistan's suitability as an ally -- much less a country receiving a great deal of U.S. aid and, as I understand it, military hardware, in exchange for cooperation in the ongoing conflict with al Qaeda/Islamic extremists.

With tough economic times at home and faced with a situation where, despite our enormous military/financial aid, we are compelled to conduct overhead air attacks or special ops raids into Pakistan to deal with terrorists there, I think the question has to be asked: Are we getting our money's worth from this relationship?

It's a complicated situation based on the existing agreements so I think we can talk about, at least, scaling back aid to Pakistan. What do you think? Should we de-friend Pakistan?

[Coededgeme]

Our 'friendship' with Pakistan has always been problematic, first because Musharrev was a dictator so we were once again supporting a dictator. However, we did it because of the need to have their assistance with our efforts in Afghanistan.

Now that they are not a dictatorship, I think it would be in our best interests to keep supporting them. We DO get some help in the WoT from them, and as a non-arab muslim country, as well as their mutual hatred with India, I think we need to keep relations as good as they can be so that we can continue to have influence with them. One of the main problems we have with both North Korea and Iran is we really have no influence over them. It would seem pointless to shed all of our influence over Pakistan just out of spite.

[Lictimind]

We give them a billion dollars a year, ostensibly to fight terrorism, and the most wanted man alive is living in a rather hard-to-miss compound not far from one of their military academies?

Fuck them.

[Nashhlkq]

Pakistan isn't worth the help. India is.

If we play our cards right, India might "take care" of them soon enough.

[jincomplet]

At the present time our Southern States are experiencing massive problems. As far as I am concerned the 3.5 Billion (may not be exact figures) that President Obama wants to give to Pakistan could be better used in the South.

[fluoxet]

We do not have eternal friends or enemies. We have eternal interests.

[iiilizium]

At the present time our Southern States are experiencing massive problems. As far as I am concerned the 3.5 Billion (may not be exact figures) that President Obama wants to give to Pakistan could be better used in the South.

Good point. I have a list right here of places in the South that we can start with drone strikes.

[Nafheense]

As long as we have troops in Afghanistan, this isn't even an option.

[phsyalcvqh]

I voted no.

Any other option is silly knee-jerk bullshit and demonstrates a profound ignorance of the help that Pakistan has provided us in the GWOT.

[nerkvcbtre]

I voted no.

Any other option is silly knee-jerk bullshit and demonstrates a profound ignorance of the help that Pakistan has provided us in the GWOT.

Oh, please.

The guy was living right under their noses...

[jurnalkduo]

Oh, please.

The guy was living right under their noses...

Obviously.

Whether or not they knew it remains to be seen.

My inclination is that they did, that they couldn't do anything "official" about it without the massive population of Islamists getting up in arms and overthrowing the government, so they waited.

I think it's telling that the massive ADA umbrella that protects Islamabad from India's nuclear threat and invasion by India or Iran didn't () pick up the incoming flight of helicopters and that once the SEALs were on the ground they were allowed a full 40 minutes (and I expect they would have been allowed longer had they needed it) to shoot shit up, blow shit up, and exfil without ANY reaction from the Pakistani military or police.

Pakistan is surrounded by enemies (India and Iran) and they're fighting with India all the time.

If you were a Pakistani cop of soldier what would you think more likely, that when all that kind of shit pops off it's the American or the Indians?

I know where I come down.

Not that any of this is "likely" but if I were a Paki policeman or the kid pulling security at the gate of the military academy and I thought we were (even potentially) being "invaded" I probably would have informed someone, maybe raised an eyebrow, maybe headed to the sound of the guns.

Yet nobody did. There was no official response at all.

Strikes me as odd.

Either it's an exceptional fuck up on the part of everyone involved with Pakistan's internal and external defenses and law enforcement - or it was a coordinated effort to look the other way.

I also think it's interesting that one of the first things to come out post-operation was that NO, NO, NO, NO, NO - NOBODY in Pakistan knew annnnnything about this. No, really, we swear. Cross my heart and hope to die.

Really?

And Pakistan's response to a violation of their soverign airspace took two days?

Really?

No immediate condemnation? No chest beating? No playing to the Islamists?

Odd.

[veizKinquiz]

The fact that Mr. bin Laden was living a comfy existence in a fortified mansion in a military-dominated town in Pakistan has led to heightened questions about Pakistan's suitability as an ally -- much less a country receiving a great deal of U.S. aid and, as I understand it, military hardware, in exchange for cooperation in the ongoing conflict with al Qaeda/Islamic extremists.

With tough economic times at home and faced with a situation where, despite our enormous military/financial aid, we are compelled to conduct overhead air attacks or special ops raids into Pakistan to deal with terrorists there, I think the question has to be asked: Are we getting our money's worth from this relationship?

It's a complicated situation based on the existing agreements so I think we can talk about, at least, scaling back aid to Pakistan. What do you think? Should we de-friend Pakistan?

If you didnt say Pakistan in the Title, I honestly thought you were talking about Israel. You had me there!

I would have voted Yes if you said Israel.

WS.

[CaseyFan]

If you didnt say Pakistan in the Title, I honestly thought you were talking about Israel. You had me there!

I would have voted Yes if you said Israel.

WS.

I say stop funding both.

The further away we get from the Middle East and South Asia, the better.

India is about the only country I trust in that region.

[Knillagrarp]

As long as we have troops in Afghanistan, this isn't even an option.

I would do it in conjunction with declaring "mission accomplished" in Afghanistan.

I voted no.

Any other option is silly knee-jerk bullshit and demonstrates a profound ignorance of the help that Pakistan has provided us in the GWOT.

If we're paying them just to keep the whining down to a dull roar when we execute drone strikes or special forces incursions in their territory, the price is too high.

It may be immature, but I'm going with the de-friend option.

[cenRealliat]

We should ignore their pokes and maybe they'll take the hint.

[Preorbtat]

Good point. I have a list right here of places in the South that we can start with drone strikes.

Do they make homing missles that lock on to trailer parks now?

[VIAGRA-]

One way or the other I think that Pakistan owes the US and the free world a reasonable explanation why bin laden was allowed to live in comfort within a mile or so or a major military installation.

[Suentiend]

I don't know if we get enough value out of Pakistan to justify the money we send them, but I don't fault them for OBL having lived there. He may very well have never left the compound. Without the Pakistani (or Abottabad) government doing a random search of the home, there's no reason to think that they should have known he was there.

[M4tHkBw2]

One way or the other I think that Pakistan owes the US and the free world a reasonable explanation why bin laden was allowed to live in comfort within a mile or so or a major military installation.

And the "free world" owes the rest of the world an explanation why "the free world" is attacking sovereign countries and installing pupet regimes there. Oh, and did the US obtain permissions from Pakistani authorities for all the "strikes" it carried out on the territory of Pakistan?

[nebrarlepleme]

They shouldn't be getting any free money from us at all, even if they personally discovered and hung OBL by the balls.