It’s no secret the U.S. has walked on eggshells with Pakistan, says Stephen R. Grand, the director of U.S. Relations with the Islamic World at the Brookings Institution in Washington. On one hand, they want to play nice with the Asian powerhouse due to its nuclear weaponry and its position next to Afghanistan. On the other hand, Pakistan harbours extremists and isn’t always forthcoming with information relating to terrorists of interest.
But how has Bin Laden’s death complicated that relationship even further? To learn more about this pressing issue, Digital Journal spoke Grand due to his experience in the region (he has spent time in Pakistan and has wrote extensively on Muslim-US issues). He believes the U.S. wants to see Pakistan flourish as a “successful democratic state” but the road to diplomatic peace isn’t easy.
After all, look at the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence service. They often provide key info to rounding up certain terrorists, Grand says, but they may withhold intelligence on other extremists, frustrating U.S. officials trying to nab suspected terrorists. “There are competing forces within the ISI, between the younger guard and the older guard,” Grand notes.
He adds, “It’s a big thorn in America’s relationship with Pakistan because it holds so much power and does seem to play an ambiguous role; at times the ISI seems to support our enemies and at times it can be helpful.”
White House spokesperson Jay Carney previously said the US was not aware “if anybody in the (Pakistani) government was aware that bin Laden or a high-value target was living in this (Abbottabad) compound,” the Economic Times reports.
Carney goes on to say: “It’s logical to assume that he had some sort of supporting network, but what constituted that network is remains to be seen.”
Approving any sanctions against Pakistan due to its possible involvement in habouring Bin Laden could be disastrous, Grand warned. Instead, he would like to see reprisals against the ISI if the U.S. determines any intelligence failure or breach of conduct.
Should Americans be concerned about any violence directed towards them, at home or abroad? When a Florida pastor burned the Koran, the Muslim world was incensed and rallied in certain regions with anti-American slogans.
“From knowing the region, yes, there are going to be extremist groups looking for revenge,” Grand says, “and undoubtedly Al Qaeda has operatives who may have plans in the pipelines for future. So in the short term thereis reason for concern, but in the long-term Bin Laden’s death is a great loss for Al-Qaeda and more damaging for them in terms of public opinion.”
Today, Pakistan’s Prime Minister said his country is not alone in failing to find Bin Laden. Yousaf Raza Gilani said, as the New York Times reports, “There is an intelligence failure of the whole world, not just Pakistan alone.”
