[9rCR9hWL]

Pakistan could "pull troops Afghan from border" if U.S. cuts aid
ReutersBy Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan could pull back troops fighting Islamist militants near the Afghan border if the United States cuts off aid, the defense minister said on Tuesday in an interview with Pakistani media.

The United States Monday said it would hold back $800 million -- a third of nearly $2 billion in security aid to Pakistan -- in a show of displeasure over Pakistan's removal of U.S. military trainers, limits on visas for U.S. personnel and other bilateral irritants.

"If at all things become difficult, we will just get all our forces back," Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said in an interview with the Express 24/7 television to be aired later on Tuesday.

The television aired excerpts of the interview Tuesday.

"If Americans refuse to give us money, then okay," he said. "I think the next step is that the government or the armed forces will be moving from the border areas. We cannot afford to keep military out in the mountains for such a long period."
At the beginning of the war on terror Pakistan was seen as the most important ally in the region. In fact, GW Bush took a lot of heat for "forgiving" them a lot.

Since the slaying of Osama bin Laden relations have been deteriorating.....and I am not sure that the US wanted it that way.

This looks like yet another international fumble on Obama's part. And it could have serious consequences for US troops in Afghanistan.

[XarokLasa]

Musharraf resigned (was kicked out) in August 2008, and he was the key driving force behind Pakistan being a US ally in the Afghanistan war. The predator strikes approved by Obama and then the OBL mission were also contributors to soured relations, but Obama-haters in the US tend to be the "bomb baby bomb" types when a republican president is at the helm. Of course because Obama isn't a republican, they'll condemn him for the same actions for which they would have cheered a republican president.

[Stoottnoiciek]

Way to get a jibe in there DS.

Anyway, on topic, I think the Pakistani government is saying what they must in public and supporting our actions behind the scenes.

[kvitacencia]

At the beginning of the war on terror Pakistan was seen as the most important ally in the region. In fact, GW Bush took a lot of heat for "forgiving" them a lot.

Since the slaying of Osama bin Laden relations have been deteriorating.....and I am not sure that the US wanted it that way.

This looks like yet another international fumble on Obama's part. And it could have serious consequences for US troops in Afghanistan.

Indeed. So pull them all out of there.

[QbCp7LaZ]

This would be a lot simpler if the Afghan border was properly sealed.

The urban population of Pakistan rightfully fears the Taliban, and will appease them so long their attention is on Afghanistan. The moment the Taliban can no longer contest for Afghanistan, they will turn on Pakistan, and that urban population will come running back to us.

[RichardHaads]

....but Obama-haters in the US tend to be the "bomb baby bomb" types when a republican president is at the helm. Of course because Obama isn't a republican, they'll condemn him for the same actions for which they would have cheered a republican president.

On the other hand the mainstream press gave national coverage to every casualty under the Bush administration; seemed to delight in showing caskets rolling off aircraft....but has not even mentioned the fact that two thirds of the casualties in Afghanistan have occurred under Obama's watch.

[Zdfjpbth]

Way to get a jibe in there DS.

Anyway, on topic, I think the Pakistani government is saying what they must in public and supporting our actions behind the scenes.

For God's sake, FINALLY a conservative who at least has some INKLING of how the governments in most of the world (even including us to some extent) must deal with their populaces....If only George Bush had realized this we could have saved 5 trillion dollars, 10,000 American lives and probably averted the second Great Depression.....oh, and we would have captured Osama in 2002 while Afghanistan now would be a model of prosperity and freedom in the Middle East, seriously rivaled only by Iraq.

[Cinzomzm]

Pakistan's reaction means that the US presence in Afghanistan is nearly done. Pakistan is important to us only as transit route & listening post - kind of like Casablanca in WWII.

Pakistan is playing their own game with Taliban, Al-Queda, Afghanistan, India, & whatever other agendas they're working on. The sooner we cut $ & material aid to Pakistan, the faster they'll have to fish or cut bait on nuke proliferation. Denying the Paki our support will make them focus on their domestic situation, & possibly make them pull back from their adventurism with regards to India.

The Paki military & ISI make a lot of threatening noises about aligning with the PDRC - but I don't think China would even want to step in there. Too many factions, not enough mineral wealth to be worth the static - except possibly to rub our & NATO's faces in their "success". Considering the $ billions we've already thrown away there, a little serving of crow won't hurt us much @ all ...