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    Patience, Not Punishment, forPakistan

    By TALAT MASOODPublished: May 15, 2011

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    Islamabad, Pakistan

    THE revelation that Osama bin Laden was living less thana mile from Pakistans national military academy hasraised serious questions about the efficacy of Pakistansmilitary and intelligence services and brought into sharpfocus the weakness of the Pakistani state.

    There is now huge pressure from civil society andopposition parties to appoint a commission to investigatethe raid on Bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad, and totake action against those responsible for the lapses thatallowed American forces to enter Pakistani territoryundetected. The ability of the armed forces to guard the

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    border with Afghanistan and the civilian governmentscontrol over security matters have also been put intodoubt.

    The volatile situation in Pakistan is matched by theunderstandable outrage of Americans that the worlds mostnotorious terrorist lived unmolested for five years in a cityteeming with Pakistani military officers. But anyoverreaction by Washington could endanger Pakistanidemocracy and further empower the military or evenlead to an outright military takeover. For the United States,support for Pakistans civilian, democratic government is

    the only way to assure regional peace, stability andprosperity.

    Washington cannot separate its military relationship withPakistan from its political relationship: America needsPakistans cooperation to permit the smooth withdrawal ofthe majority of American troops from Afghanistan before2012, while the Obama administration must disentangleitself from the Afghan war to help ensure the presidents

    re-election. And there can be no peace in Afghanistanwithout a modicum of Pakistani assistance.

    For Pakistan, Americas military and economic assistanceis vital. Moreover, when Pakistan is facing enormousdomestic difficulties, it can ill afford to antagonizeAmerica. Leaders in both countries must therefore stepback from confrontation and find ways to repair the

    damage. Pushing Pakistans political leadership to thebrink is not an option.

    Washington should avoid the temptation to pursueaggressive diplomacy, cut off economic assistance orintensify its Predator drone attacks. The most dangerousand counterproductive step would be for the United States

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    Congress to drastically cut financing for Pakistansmilitary. Such a punitive measure might satisfy theAmerican need to express displeasure, but it would haveseveral unhappy consequences.

    First, it would reinforce the already strong perception inPakistan that the United States is an unreliable ally thatacts unilaterally. Second, it would confirm the view that theUnited States favors India and reinforce the Pakistanisecurity establishments obsession with India as theenemy.

    This, in turn, would renew Pakistans determination tomaintain a strong voice and presence in Afghanistan especially in Pashtun areas through the Afghan Talibanand other groups unfriendly to the United States, a strategythat many in the security establishment believe will helpPakistan avoid encirclement by India.

    This would be a very dangerous route for Pakistan topursue, as it would invite reprisals and increase Western

    and Indian distrust of Pakistan. It might also emboldenIndia to go after the Pakistan-based terrorist groupLashkar-e-Taiba, which India and the United States saycarried out the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, and lead theUnited States to strike at the Taliban-allied Haqqaninetwork in Pakistan. Such moves would create a viciouscycle of recrimination that would result in Pakistan and theregion becoming even more unstable and chaotic.

    To be sure, Pakistans India-centric policy is harmful andcounterproductive. The present crisis provides anopportunity for the Pakistani military to give up thisstrategically misguided obsession. India should also usethis window of opportunity to step forward and normalize

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    relations with its neighbor, instead of gloating overPakistans misfortunes.

    The killing of Bin Laden proves once and for all that the

    Pakistani military cannot look the other way as AfghanTaliban gather in Pakistan. Failing to act with full forceagainst Islamist extremists at home is no longer an option.However, the United States needs to show greaterunderstanding and patience while Pakistan undertakes thisnecessary strategic shift.

    If America tries to punish rather than support Pakistan inthis difficult hour, the Pakistani military, in a dangeroustest of wills, might pursue a course of action based onemotion and hyped-up nationalism that will only weakenthe joint effort to fight terrorism.

    Talat Masood is a military analyst and a retiredlieutenant general in the Pakistani Army.