The talking points for a high profile DC visit by ISI chief Lt. Gen. Zaheer ul-Islam are taking shape today, and the talk will center upon convincing the US to treat Pakistan more like an equal partner instead of a scapegoat.
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If we are partners we should sit together and have a common strategy,” insisted Interior Minister Rehman Malik, adding that an end to US drone strikes against Pakistani territory was a key issue, along with calls for intelligence sharing.
They also seem to be anticipating the usual US response, which is to complain about militant activity in North Waziristan. Pakistani officials urged the US to “stop pointing fingers” and give them some idea how to tackle the factions, again pointing to a need for intelligence sharing.
Pakistan has launched several US-demanded offensives against tribal areas in the past several years, but each time the militants have shifted to a less-attacked region and have remained virtually intact.
The US has already ruled out ending drone strikes and are likewise unlikely to increase intelligence sharing, insisting they don’t trust the Pakistani government with actual information and just providing Pakistan with lists of targets to capture or kill but refusing to indicate who they are, where they are, or provide evidence of wrongdoing.
Seven U.S. soldiers who died recently in Afghanistan were identified today by the Department of Defense. Icasualties reports 41 U. S. dead for July, 2012.
Big deal. Those idiots voluntarily signed up and paid for their stupidity with their lives. The thousands and thousands of Iraqi, Afghan and now Pakistani civilians killed by them on orders from Washington and Tel Aviv had no choice in the matter.
Quite true.
You assume US combat deaths are a positive.
How droll…the red-headed stepchild FINALLY decides to develop a backbone…
Unfortunately, if you take the money from Uncle Sugar, you are not allowed to make demands…Didn't you read the small print on the contract of subservience?
Silly rabbit.
if they were allies they would not have started.
US to Pakistan: You can bark all you want, but never forget who's payroll you are on you b!@%#. So you will do what we tell you to do, like the wh0#3 that you are.