Foreign Policy Can Curb Danger

When a gathering of senior Pakistani military officers asked the Pakistani ambassador to the U.S., Husain Haqqani, who is regarded as the primary enemy of their country, he replied without hesitation that a third of Pakistanis point to the United States.

When members of Congress exposed Robert Gates to awkward questions concerning the reasons for continued military support for Pakistan, which lied to Washington about the presence of Osama bin Laden within its borders, Gates frankly replied that most governments lie and spy on each other regardless of their amity or alliance.

Oscillating between these two positions concerning U.S.-Pakistan relations, the two nations demonstrate a serious need for a cooling-off period in which both sides can come to understand the causes of their disappointing strategic relationship and lack of dialogue. The situation also calls for the development of a new vocabulary for a more realistic path. Washington must understand the risks facing the Pakistani military leadership. Chief of Staff Ashfaq Kayani endures the pressure and interrogations about the circumstances of the bin Laden assassination, from not only civilians and politicians, but also from the most dangerous leaders within the army. Such questions and accountability are a healthy phenomenon for this institution that has lacked accountability without excessive fears of a military coup and bias toward extremist ranks.

Washington should also not overreact regarding the arrest of Pakistanis who provided the U.S. with information about bin Laden. A sovereign state has the right to detain those who disclose civilian secrets. Furthermore, Washington should also cease drone attacks.

Such steps are necessary to cool, but not correct, the course of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship. Correcting this course requires that Washington give the Pakistani leadership the highest degree of autonomy after submitting reliable information concerning the location and presence of terrorists. Secondly, Pakistan should be involved in dialogues conducted by Washington with other regional entities, including Taliban elements in Afghanistan. These steps may not be compatible with the anti-Pakistani mood in Congress, but they will, in the long run, curb external domination, which can destroy Pakistan from within.