Frequent visits by US officials to Pakistan have not diluted anti-American rage
Afghan civilians have been repeatedly killed in night raids by US special forces and mis-targeted bombings by US aircraft while a handful of US soldiers have been charged with deliberately killing Afghans and committing other atrocities.
A great deal of public anger and frustration is due to the lack of good governance and overwhelming corruption, which could see the collapse of Kabul Bank - the largest in the country.
The Americans are blamed by Afghans for tolerating the failure of the government to get its act together 10 years after 9/11 and for fuelling corruption by giving money to the wrong contractors.
In Pakistan the case of the alleged CIA agent Raymond Davis - coupled with an acute economic downturn, massive energy shortages, corruption and the blasphemy issue that has led to two senior officials being murdered - has also led to widespread anti-Americanism. LINK.
http://theanalogkid-jlee077.blogspot.com/2012/02/special-ops-cannot-make-up-for-absence.html#!/2012/02/special-ops-cannot-make-up-for-absence.html
ReplyDeletePakistan, Iran, and India are observer nations for the SCO.
ReplyDeleteAfghanistan and Iraq also have shown a desire to be a part of the SCO.
Times and lines will be changing.
The US is not the power house it once was.
I think Pakistanis were supposed to forget about the Davis fiasco...
ReplyDeleteThe urgent problem with Quran burnings is that many Afghans expect it to happen again. An overflowing apology begins to produce a reverse effect of continual outrage. Now the protest leaders want an audience with Karzai - and I wonder which side he will defend?