Pakistan-US relations sink to new low

From the International Report delivered to the CPGB-ML’s central committee on 3 December

Relations between Pakistan and the US continue to sink below rock bottom.

First there has been a scandal (‘Memogate’) surrounding allegations that President Asif Ali Zardari (‘Mr Bhutto’) sought help from the US in asserting control over his own country’s military in the wake of the outrage caused by the US raid on a house in Pakistan in which Osama Bin Laden was killed.

It is claimed that in return for this support Zardari offered to sack various generals and introduce a civilian-led security team.

In the midst of the Memogate furore, a Nato helicopter air raid took place over the weekend of 26-27 November on two separate border posts operated by the Pakistani army in the Mohmand tribal region.

At least two dozen Pakistani soldiers were killed in the raids. After the bombing started, one of the posts fired back against the helicopters that were attacking them.

This renewed assault on Pakistani sovereignty forced the Zardari government to retaliate by closing supply routes to Afghanistan relied on by Nato (as it has done at least twice before) and to order the CIA to vacate the Shamsi base used to launch drone strikes.

Pakistan has also pulled out of a major international conference that had been called to discuss Afghanistan’s security and future development.