Mustafa Qadri

It appears the Pentagon is opposed to too much oversight of civilian aid to Pakistan, including a provision in a proposed bill that would prevent aid in the event of a military coup:

After promising last month that U.S. aid to Pakistan would no longer be a “blank check,” the Obama administration is attempting to head off efforts in Congress to place tough conditions on the multi-billion dollar assistance package it is seeking for Islamabad.

In comparison, John Bolton of the former Bush Administration proves that he is only partially associated with reality, arguing in the Wall Street Journal that:

To prevent catastrophe will require considerable American effort and unquestionably provoke resistance from many Pakistanis, often for widely differing reasons. We must strengthen pro-American elements in Pakistan’s military so they can purge dangerous Islamicists from their ranks; roll back Taliban advances; and, together with our increased efforts in Afghanistan, decisively defeat the militants on either side of the border. This may mean stifling some of our democratic squeamishness and acquiescing in a Pakistani military takeover, if the civilian government melts before radical pressures. So be it.

History, as ever, is a convenient victim in all of this – decades of US interference in Pakistan’s domestic politics, support for dictators and investment in the very same religious fanatics know terrorising the country have been forgotten. Also as ever, the US paints itself as the only agent for stability. The solution suggested by Bolton and the Pentagon? Bring back the Army.