American policy on Pakistan unlikely to dramatically change in near future
A US think-tank's fresh report that Pakistan is more of a threat to than an ally of the United States is hardly going to cause any tectonic shift in Washington, DC's policies towards that country. Similar serious apprehensions had been made before by various policy-makers and academics based in and out of the US, but none has impacted the relationship of convenience between the US and Pakistan. It is obvious that US Governments have all along in the past chosen to gloss over such warnings and continued with their financial assistance, both military and non-military, to Islamabad. One had expected that, after Osama bin laden had been discovered to be living comfortably and under protection in Pakistan, and eliminated by US Special Forces in his hideout there, the Americans would seriously revamp their Pakistan policy. That didn't happen in the least bit. So, if the Bin laden episode couldn't change the American regime's perception, adverse reports by think-tanks are hardly going to make any significant impact. The US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has recommended that the Trump Administration must send a clear message to Pakistan that the latter would be sanctioned in case it did not mend its ways. There are many policy-makers in the US, both from the Republican and the Democratic camps, who would heartily endorse the issuance of such a warning. Will President Donald Trump bite the bulletIJ Given that he has been reaching out to Saudi Arabia (a close friend of Pakistan's); Russia (which has begun to warm up to Pakistan); and China (which is an all-weather friend of Pakistan), and also taken a strong stance against Iran (which shares not more than a strictly formal relations with Pakistan), it would take strong political will on President Trump's part to do the needful. The Trump Administration's aggressive talk against countries that fuel and patronise terror elements appears to be limited to the likes of Iran, and fails to acknowledge the other sources of danger. Both the Obama and the George W Bush's administrations had talked tough — as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton had bluntly told the Pakistani establishment that the snakes it was cultivating in its backyard were bound to bite the patron someday. She was referring to terror groups which Pakistan had promoted with a view to target India and which had begun to threaten Pakistan as well.
Despite its experiences, Pakistan has refused to change. Instead, there has been over the years, many terror attacks in India masterminded from Pakistani soil and allegedly with the connivance of its Inter-Services Intelligence — and thus the Pakistan Army. New Delhi had earlier hoped for a firmer response from the Obama regime and was left dismayed by its absence. In the run-up to the US presidential election, Donald Trump's bellicosity toward terror-aiding nations gave rise to renewed expectations. let's hope he does not let India down.