Ayaz, I do feel sympathy for your point of view. We Americans are pretty arrogant, and ignorant as we push our weight around. Nevertheless what the other commentors have said here is valid. The problems in the tribal area, are shared between the Americans, and the Pakistanis. Whether the blame is 70/30 or 30/70 I don’t want to get into.

  In many ways our two countries have another shared experience, poor (bordering on dictatorial) governance. Of course our foolish government does more harm to Pakistan, than she to we, for that I am truly sorry. And yes, it is now well beyond time that we should be supporting the General.

  Obama, lost a great deal of the respect that I had had for him when he tried to prove his macho-bona-fides by threatening your sovereignity. That was clearly crossing a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

  With any luck we will both soon have much better more intelligent, and compassionate governance. We the people of both regions are in this thing together. Hopefully the people of both countries can lend support to each other’s struggles to become better world citizens.

Lon:
‘General de Gaulle was never in doubt about what Americans were capable of. “You may be sure that the Americans will commit all the stupidities they can think of, plus some that are beyond imagination.”’

That’s an amazing quote from deGaulle considering that many young American boys died while fighting the Nazis in France. Sure America is capable of stupid actions but how about a little credit?

Ahem… the general was speaking (in 1967) of VIETNAM, not WWII.

Well stated Farmertx.

Yeah, Vet240, that did come out kinda lame.
I keep remembering a time that either could be trusted to a point, never fully, but more so than now.
And I agree that understanding can beat the world as the old song said.
It’s too bad a test isn’t required of any politician about the country and the world we live in. That would eliminate 3/5 or more politician’s right there.
But that same sense of understanding would have to be world wide and all inclusive.
Wishful thinking but still a worthy goal.
Just as in ‘Nam, the people of that country cared nothing about who was in power; the people would be screwed regardless.
Leave Papa-sans’ rice paddy alone, leave his water buffalo alone and don’t steal all his rice and he could still get by.
Then here comes America to save the day. ‘Cept that didn’t happen.
Some thought that the USMAG-Greece proved that such things could be done.
The one difference was that the Greeks really hatred the Communist’s and saw them as an Anti Christ. They were willing to fight to keep the Communist’s out.
The Vietnamese people didn’t share that hatred, least not enough of them, especially in the countryside areas.
Same basic thing is happening in Iraq. The people hated Saddam and were glad to see him go.
But that military genius Rummy didn’t have a plan for keeping three factions from attacking one another.
Was he even aware that there were 3 factions? Hard to say. Best guess is no.
Then bin Laden saw his chance and took it. And our troops and the Iraqi people have been paying the price. A damn high price.

Something the Bush administration and most American pundits cannot do is put themselves in the shoes of other ethnic groups. It sounds almost Christian. But such empathy is the basis of diplomacy, a lost art among most of our leaders. Armed with such objectivity, international decisionmaking would take the place of the chicken hawk militarism we have now. Intelligent diplomacy, compromise and cooperation would be the order rather than the saber rattling that the Neanderthalic BushCo uses. We would spend more for people than for resources. We would have global cooperation in battling critical problems like poverty, global warming and terrorism. If you harp about morality and religion and dualistic forces of good and evil as some do, it should become obvious that the divisive forces of evil are guiding global policy not the forces of good.

Farmertx

“if the American military or CIA find out.”

Boy! If there are two sources of reality I want to hear from, these two wouldn’t be them!

Fisrt I must apologize to the writer of this article. 

I am an American. I don’t even know how to address you. When you are spoken to, are you called Mr. amir, or Mr. Ayaz, or in some way other than this? I only point this our due to my total lack of knowledge about your culture. this lack of knowledge on my part is a product of the lack of respect and the arrogance of America through it’s education system which is run by our government.

I am not anti-American. I just wish we as a people spent more time getting to know our world neighbors and less time learning how to dis-mantle an M-16 rifle. Perhaps if we did this the M-16 would lose importance.

I believe this article. I believe America, since WWII has had to buy most of it’s friends like a John buys favors in a brothel. As long as we have, or pretend to have money, we’re welcome. Once we run out of cash or credit our friends, who we treat like those girls in the bordelo will tell us to go away.

Most or the Allies, if not all, who have seemed to support us in the debacle in Iraq have been bought and paid for. As long as we continue to infuse wealth into their countries we will be welcome. In the mean-time, the peoples of those countries who never see any of that wealth will continue to grow to hate what America stands for.

As far as the political position of Ayaz Amir is concerned. It only matters to know there is a faction of unknown size in the world agrees with his position.

Ron Paul refers to his position (Ayaz Amir), or any other position as “Blow Back”.

America must become a cooperating party in the community of man. If we continue to think of ourselves (as our current leaders would like) as the big dog in the pen and act accordingly, we will one day find ourselves in need of help and it will not be forthcoming. Thanks to the Republican lead Government that day may come sooner rather than later.

We as a people must insist on an education system that opens our minds to the different cultures of the world.

We as a people must be able to allow other opinions to hold sway in international affairs. Only through the act of respecting others can we realistically hope to be given respect.

We demonstrated in Vietnam and now in Iraq the weakness of the Super Powers.

I have to agree with KISS on this one.
Pakistan through its leader had a cozy relationship with bin Laden from the start.
Shrub applied pressure and dished out American money to get Pakistan “on” our side.
As far as going after bin Laden is concerned, he is a legitimate target for US forces and any one who abets him in any way does so at the risk of attack if the American military or CIA find out.
The writer should be grateful that Pakistan wasn’t targeted instead of Iraq, as there were many better reasons to attack Pakistan, such as its tacit support of bin Laden, than there were to attack Iraq.

I am no fan of the Bush administration’s foreign policy toward the Islamic world, but I feel this article conveniently omits Pakistan’s own responsibility for the unrest of Waziristan.

Pakistan’s active role in funding, training, arming and sheltering the jihaddi resistance against the Soviet Union served many purposes for Pakistan’s ISI.  They wanted the Taliban in power to create a buffer state, and the same militants that fought the Russians were also sent to conduct terrorsit operations in Indian-controlled Kashmir.  No doubt that US policies of convenience also played a part, but Pakistan has been actively building up Islamic militantism for its own political ends from the very beginning.  Now its own nest of cobras is a problem for its masters.  Expecting the US to ignore Al Queda in Waziristan is equivalent to the US shielding a US based white supremism group that conducts attacks on Canadians on Canadian soil—unacceptable.

Bad accounting of the monies given to Pakistan is a legitimate gripe. Not wanting to oust Al-Qaida is another thing. Al-Qaida can and is a threat to Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. The Taliban is nothing but feudal war-mongers self-serving.
Ayaz Amir, is a more anti-american than a straight reporter. Being against the existing regime is his right, but truth-telling should be of most importance. Pakistan should be democratic and free to choose their politicians..that means neither side should be allowed to influence elections.

Very well written. But who is going to bell the army.