Pakistan-United States relations

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U.S.-Pakistan relations relations
Flag of the United States   Flag of Pakistan
     United States      Pakistan

U.S.-Pakistan relations are the transatlantic relations between the United States of America and Pakistan. Pakistan has long been seen as an ally of the United States. However the relationship is an unusual one.

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[edit] Partition of India from British Raj: 1947 - 1952

After its independence by partitioning of British Raj, Pakistan followed a pro-western policy. The Indian government followed a different, non-aligned policy stance, which leaned closer to the Soviet Union rather than the United States. Pakistan was seeking strong friends to counter its bigger neighbour India, which was strongly backed by the Soviet government.

[edit] Ayub Khan Era: 1952 - 1969

Pakistan joined the US lead military alliances SEATO and CENTO.

[edit] Separation of East Pakistan (Bangla-Desh): 1969 – 1972

President Richard Nixon used Pakistan's relationship with China to start secret contacts with China which resulted with Henry Kissinger’s secret visit to China in July 1971 while visiting Pakistan. America supported Pakistan throughout the civil-war.

[edit] Zia Era: 1977 – 1988

The Taliban are one of the mujahideen ("holy warriors") groups that formed during the war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during 1979 to 1989.

By mid-1980s, Osama Bin Laden moved to Afghanistan, where he established Maktab al-Khidimat to recruit Islamic soldiers from around the world who later formed the basis of an international network.[citation needed]

[edit] Democratic governments: 1988-1998

[edit] Post 9/11: role in the War on Terror

After the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, Pakistan became a key ally on the war on terror with the United States. However, US$5 billion earmarked to train the Pakistani army in counter-terrorism were instead spent on unrelated military purposes.[1][2]

On November 6, 2001, US President George W. Bush declared his polity: "You are either with us or against us". President Musharraf later claimed that the U.S. threatened to bomb Pakistan "back to the Stone Age" after the September 11 attacks, if Pakistan refused to help America with its war on terrorism.[3]

Musharraf acknowledges the payments in his book:

"We've captured 689 and handed over 369 to the United States. We've earned bounties totaling millions of dollars"

On 11 June 2008, a US airstrike on the Afghan-Pakistani border killed 11 members of the paramilitary Frontier Corps. The Pakistani military condemned the airstrike as an act of aggression, souring US-Pakistani relations.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Peters, Justin (2007-12-24). Foreign Aid Betrayed. Slate.
  2. ^ ROHDE, DAVID; CARLOTTA GALL, ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID E. SANGER (2007-12-24). U.S. Officials See Waste in Billions Sent to Pakistan. The New York Times.
  3. ^ U.S. threatened to bomb Pakistan over war on terror: Musharraf
  4. ^ Riaz Khan. "Pakistan blames US coalition for troops' death", Google News, Associated Press, 2008-06-11. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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