The Pakistan Paradox: The United State’s Biggest Ally and Greatest Threat in the War on Terror

Pa k i s t a n , since the beginning of its creation, has had a complex and admittedly deep relationship with the United States. During the cold war, as Russia (formerly the U.S.S.R) and India reinforced their historical relationship, the United States honed in on its next closest remaining ally in the region, Pakistan.

Over the past 60 years the U.S. relationship with Pakistan has been good, although strained at times but good. After September 11, 2001, when the terrorists attacked America by flying two commercial airliners into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon leaving thousands dead, the United States looked to our allies in the region who could help us in our war on terror, which started with Afghanistan. Our main ally, for logistical, strategic and more obvious reasons was Pakistan

At the time of the U.S. military engagement of Afghanistan to bring down the Taliban and militants connected to Al Qaeda, Pakistan was being run by the military dictator Pervez Musharaf, who came to power through a military coup. With the added benefit of U.S. financial incentives and our overall strong historical relationship, Pakistan became one of our closest allies in our war in Afghanistan. Despite this alliance and billions of dollars contributed to aid Pakistan and help with the war on terror, the situation now seems to be even more complicated and militancy seems to have crept into and all around Pakistan. Now the United States is up against not only battling the Taliban and militancy in Afghanistan but also the groups as they gain strength in Pakistan, a nuclear armed country with a newly elected and weak civilian government.

This raises bigger concerns when there has been recent affirmation by our own military and intelligence that a special S wing of the Pakistani ISI has been aiding the Taliban with logistics, tactical knowledge, money and military weapons support. Moreover, although there may be a common religious connection between the Taliban and militant members between Afghanistan & Pakistan, there are several other issues that are raised for the U.S. to consider, such as: 1) The fact that Pakistan is a nuclear armed country and what would happen if militants got control of those nuclear weapons; 2) There are several other ethnic and cultural groups in Pakistan which the U.S. has to understand in order to deal with them; 3) Walking the tightrope with the Pakistani Government and military in order to combat the Taliban while understanding that parts of the government are working with the Taliban; and 4) The overall terrain (i.e. battleground) of Pakistan is somewhat different from that of Afghanistan which means that U.S. forces must also revisit logistics when combating terror if the United States were ever to enter Pakistan with full military force. There is also the fact that the government of Pakistan clearly sees a distinction between the Taliban, which can be talked to and negotiated with and Al Qaeda, which cannot. There is also a fairly strong consensus in Pakistan that while the Taliban are mostly local ethnic Pashtuns and Punjabis, Al Qaeda militants are mostly foreign Arabs, Kazakhs and Tajiks.

Both, our biggest ally in the war on terror and our greatest concern, Pakistan is an example of a political paradox. On one side we engage Pakistan for a military alliance, for permission to use airspace and for the right to fly unarmed drones into Pakistan and bomb the tribal areas and we enjoy overall support from the civilian government, however weak it may be. On the other side, we have already acknowledged that part of Pakistan’s military is working with the Taliban and aided its members with the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan has just recently affirmed an agreement with the Taliban for Sharia Law in the Swat Valley and its surrounding areas, there is now mention of the Taliban moving fast into the most populous province Punjab and just recently, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said “I think the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and the extremists.”

extremists.” As our country moves forward in the next few weeks, months and years we must be mindful of the role that Pakistan plays in connection with the war on terror. The country is not and may never be our total ally nor solely our biggest threat. Pakistan, as many of the countries in South Asia, including India has always dealt with the clash of identity, class and culture. However, unlike India, Pakistan has had a problem maintaining democracy and ideological freedom. Currently we are witnessing a time where, if the Taliban succeed in their mission to create a strict hard-line Islamic world, Pakistan will lose what democracy it has left and the world will be in danger of having the first militant group with access to nuclear weapons and a list of enemies with India, the United States and Israel at the top of the list.

This is why it is so very important that while the United States continues to walk this tightrope between Pakistan the ally and Pakistan the threat, it does not allow the threat to win and then back away from our allies in the country thereby isolating the government and the majority of helpless innocent civilians and allowing the extremist element of Islam and the militancy of the Taliban to prevail. Consequently, the wonderful country called Pakistan must remain a paradox until the day when we can steadfastly call it our unequivocal ally.

Dev B Viswanath is practicing attorney who is currently hosting a weekly political show called Desis & Politics which airs on Saturdays at 8:30am and repeated on Sunday at 10:00 am on ITV/ ITV GOLD in NY, NJ, and Conn. On Time Warner Cable (Channel 77 or 563), in NY and NJ on Cablevision (Channel 244), and in NY, Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia on RCN (Channel 476) You can also watch previously aired programs at http://www.itvonweb.com/. Please feel free to email Dev with your comments or suggestions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .