Political Crossfire Forums

This is literally a WAG, but perhaps it's a situation of "the enemy you know is better than the enemy you don't." We may know that Pakistan is doing those things, but choose to keep them close so that we can better monitor. Those billions have most certainly bought us some access to their upper echelon. It may include sway with them, but almost definitely includes intel on them.

Still not the best strategy, if true.

That seems to assume that this is an intentional strategy, that we're going along with this knowing all along that they're the enemy and they were also complicit in 9/11.

OK, so then we did Afghanistan and have stayed there 13 years and have spent $700 billion dollars and lost over 2,000 Americans to keep up this facade?

Or, more realistically, does it point to just how absolutely clueless we are when it comes to knowing who the real enemies are, or how to combat them?

Unless, and this is always possible, the story keeps changing because the point is simply to have these wars for those few who profit from them.

Remember: after 9/11 we identified the "axis of evil" as Iraq (nothing to do with 9/11, no threat to us), Iran (nothing to do with 9/11, also not a threat to us) and... cough, North Korea (?!?!?! WTF?).

How is it that reporters were able to uncover this stuff (back then even) yet our "intelligence" did not?

I'll bet a paycheck that our "intelligence" did uncover it. But, a political decision was made with that information. When politics and national security meet, it's never pretty.

There's no question everyone at the pentagon and the White House has always been aware of how shitty Pakistan is.

I'd say there's plenty of questions. At least back then. Certainly not so much since OBL got offed by Obama, but previously?

Yeah I don't think any of this came as a surprise to them. Why we keep up the farce isn't clear to me but I'm sure someone here can shed light on that.

The reason why you treat Pakistan the way you do is this: India and nuclear weapons.

That's it. Pakistan might be crazy, but the ruling party can at least be said to be rational. So you work with them, even though they oppose your interests.

This is just an exercise in realpolitik.