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At Large
Our Pakistan, Wrong or Wrong
The U.S. has no other choice.
While the Government of Pakistan merits charges of duplicity and incompetence for aiding and abetting Osama bin Laden, the desire of Congress to conduct a vendetta against the country and cut aid would be an emotionally understandable but realistically unwise course. Whether we like it or not, America is Pakistan’s sponsor and has been so since the early days of the Cold War.
The recipient of about $20 billion in aid since 9/11, Pakistan is the conduit for an estimated 50% of U.S. military supplies going into Afghanistan. Disrupting that effort has already happened on occasion, during tension from border incidents and Predator drone strikes.
With 29 million Pashtuns in Pakistan and nearly 13 million in Afghanistan, Pakistan has ethnic and linguistic affinity for this population. The Pashtuns have Persian antecedents and reside on two sides of an arbitrary and largely unrecognized frontier known as the Durand Line, established by the British in the late 19th century. Pakistan will therefore be, for better or for worse, the guardian of the endgame accommodation when the U.S. and NATO substantially withdraw — it cannot risk alienating this group known for its ethnic nationalism.
Democracies are not common in the Muslim world. Pakistan, the world’s second largest Muslim nation, has a parliamentary system, relatively free press, respected judiciary, and of late, interest in election reform to prevent fraud. It is a struggling, fragile democracy founded on secular principles. Many leading Pakistanis also wish to see a lesser role for the Pakistan Army, with more civilian control of the nation’s course.
While some in Pakistan recognize that they need U.S. sponsorship, opinion is quite divided about whether the U.S. or China is the natural and strategic long-term partner. China’s construction of the port at Gwadar near the Persian Gulf is an opportunity for potential use by the Chinese navy, which would then have easy proximity to some of the world’s oil lanes. U.S. vindictiveness could cause Pakistan to embrace China, although China may not rush to underwrite a bad Pakistani economy and a nation viewed in the West as a failing or potentially failed state.
The time has come for the U.S. to transform the form and substance of foreign aid to Pakistan. It continues to be vague — and a blank check. It is well-documented that it is offered through different administrative channels with various operating procedures, without sufficient transparency or third party review. U.S. aid is viewed in Pakistan as supporting the military and ISI, the intelligence service, for the benefit of an elite few — in a tide of cynicism there, it is not seen as benefiting the people of the country.
Instead, U.S. aid should be directed at natural gas and electricity development projects, as these would have a direct benefit on the daily life of the people. Natural gas is used in cooking, space heating, and automobile transportation and has industrial applications; electricity outages are well-known, affecting households and business and damaging productivity. Textiles are the leading export industry and would benefit greatly from more reliable electric power. A highly visible partnership in rural medicine could also help reposition U.S. aid to Pakistan.
There are reforms that only Pakistanis can enact for themselves: a vigorous tax collection system, land redistribution, free elections, an enhanced judiciary, and reduced control of the political system by the Pakistan Army and ISI — which have both suffered major damage to their reputations for alleged complicity in harboring and protecting bin Laden.
However, there is more that the U.S. can do: it can recommend an anti-corruption initiative, with advice from the American Bar Association. While this will be opposed by the Pakistani government, the U.S. will then be on record for promoting better governance. This should be viewed favorably in Pakistan, where much of the population is outraged over the level of corruption which impairs governance and human initiative.
As with the Raymond Davis affair, and more recently the arrest of alleged CIA informants who assisted in finding bin Laden, the relationship with Pakistan is subjected to more stress. Our dismay with Pakistan should, however, be expressed in private diplomatic channels. Public criticism only causes further intransigence and makes it easier to hype anti-American sentiment, already running at record levels.
Finally, U.S. encouragement of Indian moderation over the Kashmir dispute and the Line of Control separating the two countries would, even if only symbolic, be a constructive signal to allow Pakistan potentially to deploy more forces to address the Taliban to the west.
While the outrage over Pakistan’s harboring of Osama bin Laden is well-warranted, it is not wise to threaten to reduce U.S. civilian and military aid. Following a cooling-off period, we must hope that Congress sees that the issue is not the level of aid to Pakistan, as much as it is how that aid is structured and managed.
(These recommendations on U.S. aid and others may be found in the National Strategy Forum Review Spring 2011, “The U.S.-Pakistan Relationship: Toward a Complementary Strategy.”)
About the Author
Frank Schell is a business consultant and former international banking executive. He serves on the Dean’s International Council of the Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago, where he is a lecturer, and on the editorial board of the Chicago-based National Strategy Forum, which focuses on national security issues.
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Old Soldier| 6.28.11 @ 7:39AM
1. Time to cut foreign aid to everyone.
2. No way should any U.S. aid be going to the Pakistan military. Not when they seem determined to cause mischief in Afghanistan and possibly wage war against India (a far better potential ally).
loulou| 6.28.11 @ 9:50AM
Agree.
al| 6.28.11 @ 8:27AM
By all means let the Chinese have them. Let's see how it works out between communists and two-faced Muslim fanatics.
Harry the Horrible| 6.28.11 @ 1:45PM
Probably very badly for the two-faced Muslim Fanatics. The PRC doesn't take insolence or treachery from anybody (insolence and treachery are THEIR prerogative!).
LMajito| 6.28.11 @ 8:33AM
one more insight into why the us foreign policy is so screwed up...so according to mr schell and his 'fellows' line of thinking is ok to have us military killed as long as our trucks can travel through this armpit of the world? of course frankie baby does not have one of his siblings or progeny fall at the hands of these barbarians tribes so he seats in the windy city bloviating...
that's about the same nonsense we heard about supporting the turks during the iraq war I while they masacred the kurds...only to find out that the turks did not allow the us infantry to go through their 'sacred and holy land'...
when will the idiot gringo learn? you ain't going to win hearts and souls...must conquer the beast and do it without prejudice...forget this nonsense pc war approach
it's time to cut these funds and do it now...let's support india to keep in check the pakis and leave the afghans to masacre each other...and next time some group grows in there and comes over to kill us, carpet bomb their hills until flat land appears and leave them alone to rebuild for the next 100 years...
it's only so much one can do with barbarians that are bent on killing and murdering to 'alleviate' their stage in life...
i'm with the president here...time to nation build the usa and let the animals eat each other
WeMustResist| 6.28.11 @ 8:48AM
Mr Schell does not tell us why Pakistan is useful to us. He only tells us we are in the habit of sponsoring Pakistan. If Pakistan were to export nothing to the West, and import nothing from the West, but instead trade only with China, would it matter? If Pakistan were to send us none of its citizens as tourists, students, workers or businessmen, would it matter? If we were not allowed to visit Pakistan, and Pakistanis were not allowed to visit us, would we not be better off?
What do we get from Pakistan that we need? Access to Afghanistan? And why do we need to be in Afghanistan? Why can't we leave both places and make sure they don't come near us? What could we lose if we never saw them again? If they go into Iran's clutches, or China's orbit, do we lose or gain? Are we worried about Pakistan's nuclear weapons? If we are can live with Iran's nuclear weapons then why can't we live with Pakistans?
What is so valuable about Pakistan? Are US citizens going to be killed if we stop bribing Pakistan? Is the USA going to suffer loss or damage if we stop throwing money at them?
Ed| 6.28.11 @ 11:30AM
Unfortunately, we need Pakistan for its logistical location. Look at a map of Afganistan on Google Maps. The only overland access from the sea to Afganistan is through Pakistan. You can ship in a lot of stuff via airlift, but a modern U.S. military force needs overland access from the sea. So, as long as we are in Afganistan, we have to work with these turkeys.
Louis Jenkins| 6.28.11 @ 8:57AM
Yes, we will lose the quick mart and motel managers, and some doctors. Throwing money at them is wrong, and should have stipulations attached. But that's assuming our government has a head about them.
ConantheContrarian| 6.28.11 @ 9:12AM
" . . . the desire of Congress to conduct a vendetta against the country and cut aid would be an emotionally understandable but realistically unwise course."
Realistically unwise? Balderdash! They betrayed us by hiding bin Laden. We don't have to buy our friends. And besides, they are Muslims.
This guy Schell sounds like the typical neocon b.s. artist.
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we will lose the quick mart and motel managers, and some doctors. Throwing money at them is wrong, and should have stipulations attached. But that's assuming our government has a head about them.
loulou| 6.28.11 @ 9:52AM
The author sounds like a globalist-type. I wonder if he receives any stipends from the Pakis.
Michael Tomlinson| 6.28.11 @ 11:30AM
We need to throw our weight behind the democratic country of India an ally against Islam and eventually China.
The time has come to unleash America's own energy industry so we can cut our ties to Muslim nations. We also need to declare Muslim non-citizens persona non grata in the US and send them packing while seizing all foreign owned Muslim assets in the US sell them and use the proceeds for Federal debt relief.
Junius| 6.28.11 @ 11:39AM
"Instead, U.S. aid should be directed at natural gas and electricity development projects, as these would have a direct benefit on the daily life of the people". So let's give the Pakis money to do what Obama and the EPA won't let us do in our own country. Makes sense to me!
Henty Drummond| 6.28.11 @ 11:41AM
Pakistan prioved it was no friend if the US by building nuclear bombs. US involvenent with Pakistan should begin and end with neutralising these.
Smirking Weasel| 6.28.11 @ 1:12PM
Read Frank Schell's biography below the article and its' clear that he's a sleazy hack leeching off the US military industrial complex. Of course, he's not going to support cutting off aid to Pakistan-or anybody. His own income depends on the continuance of aid, and conflict, around the world. Hell, he might have to go do some actual work if America's actual interests finally prevailed.
Oldefarte| 6.28.11 @ 1:48PM
With all due respect to Frank's stated opinion, I wholeheartedly disagree with same. Not only concerning specifically foreign aid to Pakistan, but to all foreign aid in general; this country simily cannot afford to spend our taxpayers' hard earned money on this wasteful garbage. It is thus because it does not, will not, has never, and will never accompolish its intended purpose [which is to sway political favortism of the receiving country toward providing its goodwill toward this country]. Did our foreign aid to Pakistan prevent it from harbouring UBL and other terrorists [who instigated and carried out their attacks of 9/11/01 etc]? Has our foreign aid to any/all other countries ever once resulted in their becoming favorable/supportive to this country? The answer is, and will always be NO! When the Democrats are screaming bloody-murder the need to raise taxes on their termed billionaires and millionaires as a solution for our defecti/debt, why is it not insane and moronic for this country to be spending $trillions in foreign aid to these country??????????????
J.C.Eaton| 6.28.11 @ 2:02PM
All these countries that most of us never heard about in college are so vitally important nowdays for so many important reasons. Why, Afghanistan, for example: ghastly , dusty, rock-strewn hell-hole littered with the bones of how many erswhile westerners who died thinking they were performing some public service or another. There was a time when one argued that the hell-hole was critical to Western interests because it blocked the evil Russians from cutting off mid-east oil. Maybe so, but there's always something about all of these countries that makes them so goddam important. Important enough to break both the bank and the hearts of our people when we send both to them. It's become all so confusing that it's time for sharp, clear, and understandable rules:a]Why are our guys being put at risk?b] Who's gonna pay the bill? c] Can this country afford it/ Unless those questions are answered so every American who got out of the 6th grade on his own hook and isn't a bunch of dopes can understand those answers:IT DON'T HAPPEN!
Bill S| 6.28.11 @ 2:29PM
Don't give them a dime. We can always bomb terrorist training bases and nuclear facilities where ever they are. Based on that we don't need to be in Afghanistan or Iraq either. There's no way we should be in Afghanistan for decades to come. That's insane.
Ron| 6.28.11 @ 4:02PM
Just once, I would like the US to have an ally prove their worth to us...Not "pretty please give us aid and we will help you" or some idiotically designed plan like helping the Mujahadeen and have them become Al-Queda. They want to rebuild their country, fine, let them throw out the dictators and scoundrels, and then we might (and that is a big might) aid them. prove you are worthy first of our blood, sweat and personnel.
TrueBlue| 6.28.11 @ 4:42PM
I agree that that the aid is going to the wrong places, but I disagree with continuing the aid regardless of a restructure. We need to get our own economy fixed before we continue, or start, to help anyone else. Regardless of a country's political status with us, ALL foreign aid needs to be stopped for now.
Then when/if we start it back up, it needs to be given on the basis that it will be used on specific projects, and watched to ensure that is what really happens with it. Also, it should be given to countries that are specifically our allies first, to help them recover. Giving aid to countries that are not specifically, and truthfully, allied with us is hoping for the best without planning for the worst. If we keep giving aid to countries like Pakistan that so openly hate us it isn't going to change their opinion of us any time soon, and if we fall in the course of providing that help it will just be looked at as a reason for them not to have supported us in the first place. Our country collapsing around us helps nobody.
Quartermaster| 6.28.11 @ 6:37PM
The ABA advising on anti-corruption efforts? Now, really. They represent a corrupt profession, and we're going to send them off to foreign lands to advise on anti-corruption efforts? What a hoot.
The ABA and the shysters in black robes are why we no longer have the rule of law in this country.The Waky Pakis have been in that state for years, so why send the ABA?
weddingdresses | 6.29.11 @ 5:26AM
The ABA advising on anti-corruption efforts? Now, really. They represent a corrupt profession, and we're going to send them off to foreign lands to advise on anti-corruption efforts? What a hoot.
The ABA and the shysters in black robes are why we no longer have the rule of law in this country.The Waky Pakis have been in that state for years, so why send the ABA?
double cut saw | 10.9.11 @ 2:24AM
We have told ourselves that we need to allow our daughter to experience these life situations with guidance
dual saw | 10.19.11 @ 11:20PM
So if all phones are unlocked then what structure is in place to keep a phone from being exploited? From what I understand of mobile security
Dried Fruits | 11.15.11 @ 9:16PM
hmmm imagine that Apple thinking they're first and the best at something! lol Voice recognition is getting better but it's far from PERFECT!
classifieds | 1.5.12 @ 5:56AM
We have told ourselves that we need to allow our daughter to experience these life situations with guidance