US strengthens ties with Pakistan for Afghan war
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"In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect, and mutual trust," the president said.
Encouraging Islamabad to play a positive role in regional stability and security, the Obama administration has decided to offer Islamabad all necessary assistance to help the country overcome the political, economic, energy and security challenges that threaten its stability.
However, the motivation for Washington to develop a partnership with Islamabad is often questioned even by the Pakistanis themselves, who often satirize that Pakistan's strategic value for the United States just exists in the warfield against terrorism.
Most obviously, the U.S. attitude towards demands by India and Pakistan for civilian nuclear cooperation has made Islamabad feel "discriminated" against.
There has been no indication as yet that the Obama administration has given the green light for nuclear cooperation with Pakistan at the strategic dialogue.
Analysts here say that the United States is very concerned about nuclear security in Pakistan, worrying that U.S. advanced technology would be proliferated to those "rogue nations" and that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal would be snatched by al-Qaeda, the Taliban or other militants.
Also, recognizing India as a key partner in the United States' global and regional strategic interests, the United States has no will to displease India over the nuclear cooperation with Pakistan, especially when the relationship between Islamabad and New Delhi remains tense.
The United States and Pakistan have agreed to hold the second round of strategic dialogue in Islamabad. So for Pakistan, how to leverage its current strategic value for Washington to get more substantive benefits would be more important and more pragmatic.
