The killing of Osama bin Laden has “angered Pakistan.” Which side are they on, again?
“Bomber kills 24 in Pakistan; U.S. military mission trimmed,” by Kamran Haider for Reuters, May 26 (thanks to Ima):
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed 24 people in Pakistan on Thursday in the latest militant attack since the death of Osama bin Laden which has angered Pakistan and led to a call for the United States to withdraw some of its military trainers.
The killing of bin Laden by U.S. special forces in a Pakistani town on May 2 has sparked a wave of militant attacks and has also led to a sharp erosion of trust between Pakistan and its ally, the United States.
A suicide car-bomber set off explosives outside a police station in the northwestern town of Hangu a day after a similar attack destroyed a police station in the city of Peshawar….
Pakistani Taliban militants, allied with al Qaeda, claimed responsibility. They have vowed revenge for bin Laden’s death.
The raid that killed bin Laden at his compound in Abbottabad, 50 km (30 miles) northwest of Islamabad, intensified U.S. questions about Pakistan’s possible role in sheltering militants, straining an already fragile relationship.
But many Pakistanis saw the top-secret U.S. raid as a violation of sovereignty and some members of parliament have asked for a review of ties with Washington, which gives Pakistan billions of dollars in aid to help in the war against Islamist militants.
Pakistan had informed the United States in the last week or two that it would not need some U.S. special forces trainers advising the Pakistani military, the Pentagon said.
Great. Bring them home.
Pakistani security officials said the decision came three days after the al Qaeda leader’s death….
Another Pakistani security official said the decision was made because of concerns over the Americans’ security and because “resentment all around was very high.”…
While hinting that Pakistan could do more in its counter-terrorism efforts, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised it as a “good partner.”…
Sheesh.
Pakistan has received $20.7 billion worth of U.S. assistance over the past decade, about two-thirds of it military aid intended to improve the army’s capabilities against militants.
$20.7 billion. Funding our own destruction.