The US and Pakistan: The end of an era?
We ask how the suspension of $800m in military aid will impact relations between the two countries.
The US has suspended $800m in military aid to its long time ally, Pakistan. The move comes amid claims that the Obama administration is upset with Pakistan for expelling what are described as US military trainers and for not taking a tougher stance on the Taliban and forces aligned to the movement.
Relations between the two nations reached an all time low following the US-led raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed in May; an action over which the Pakistani government was not consulted. The latest decision to withdraw aid will likely damage an already strained relationship.
So, is this a signal that the US might be backing away from a country regarded as a critical ally? And what will be the impact on what the US used to call the ‘war on terror’?
Inside Story, with presenter Mike Hanna, discusses with guests: Ali Sarwar Naqvi, a former deputy of mission at Pakistan’s embassy in the US; Hasan Khan, a director of news and current affairs at Khyber TV; and Richard Weitz, a senior fellow and director at the Center for Political and Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute.
This episode of Inside Story aired from Tuesday, July 12, 2011.