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Wednesday, July 21, 2010
US aid can lessen, but not remove Pakistan’s mistrust* Analyst says anti-American propaganda will get negated to some extent but public will largely remain sceptical because anti-Americanism is very strong
ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s pledge for new development projects for Pakistan is an important step to win favour with its sceptical people but may not be enough to overcome deep mistrust and anti-American sentiment.
Clinton this week announced a raft of development projects for Pakistan, a vital ally for the United States in its efforts to stabilise neighbouring Afghanistan but where anti-American sentiment runs high.
While Washington’s latest aid worth $500 million can contribute to changing Pakistanis’ perception about the US once they start reaping benefits from these projects, it is an uphill task to overcome decades-old mistrust.
Scepticism: “Public opinion will change with the change in ground realities,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a security analyst. “Anti-American propaganda will get negated to some extent once these projects are realised but the Pakistani public will largely remain sceptical because anti-Americanism is very strong here.”
Anti-Amercian sentiment runs high mainly in border regions with Afghanistan which traditionally have been strongholds of anti-US extremist groups. These regions have turned into sanctuaries for al Qaeda and Taliban who fled the US-led war in Afghanistan.
Many people doubt that US aid would help reduce ill-feeling for the US.
Peace: “We don’t need dams. We need peace,” Islamuddin, a tribesman in North Waziristan said. “Such projects are a big joke with us.”
While expressing support for Pakistan, Clinton also raised Washington’s concerns with the Pakistani leaders, which many people say is reflective of “well-entrenched” mistrust between two countries, which suspect but also need each other.
Speaking at a roundtable of journalists on Monday in Islamabad, she said both the United States and Pakistan should work harder to go after al Qaeda leaders who she still believed to be hiding in Pakistan’s borderlands in the northwest. Despite lingering mistrust, Clinton said the uneasy allies would work together.
“There is a legacy of suspicion that we inherited... It’s not going to be eliminated overnight,” she told a news conference.
“However, our goal is to slowly but surely demonstrate that the United States is concerned about Pakistan for the long term, and our partnership goes far beyond security.” reuters
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk