Pakistan under pressure
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Revenge attacks, security concerns
Following Bin Laden's death, an al-Qaida website described him as a martyr in the fight against the U.S. Al-Qaida threatened attacks on Pakistan after President Zardari said Pakistan provided crucial intelligence for the US operation. For the terrorists this made Pakistan an "accomplice". Domestic religious feeling threatens to turn Pakistan into an even greater terrorist center in south Asia. On May 2 the Pakistani Taliban said it would take massive vengeance on the US and Pakistani governments. The same day, a mosque near Islamabad was bombed, killing four people and injuring ten.
The Alliance between the U.S. and Pakistan will continue
In the aftermath of Bin Laden's death, some US senators proposed drastic cuts in economic assistance to Pakistan. But the U.S. and Pakistan need each other at a strategic level, and their anti-terror alliance will not change fundamentally. And the US's Afghanistan strategy will not change as a result of Bin Laden's death. The U.S. is still seeking an honorable exit. Afghan stability depends on close cooperation with Pakistan in the border areas. On May 3, the U.S., Pakistan and Afghanistan issued a joint statement on their efforts to move the peace process forward and stabilize the region. On May 5, speaking of US-Pakistan ties, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "It is not always an easy relationship, you know that. But it is a productive one for both countries, and we are going to continue to cooperate between our governments, our militaries, and our law-enforcement agencies."
From Pakistan's point of view, although the government and army talked tough about "never again" allowing the U.S. to take such actions as the Osama killing, this was strictly for domestic consumption. Pakistan is in dire economic straits and the assistance it receives from the U.S. is indispensable. When all is said and done Pakistan will have to swallow its pride.
The author works for Institute of South and Southeast Asian and Oceanic Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
(This post was written in Chinese and translated by An Wei.)
