Pakistan to US: If We’re Allies, Stop Attacking Us and Keeping Secrets

Stop Pointing Fingers, Pakistan Suggests

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.

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.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.