From our partners at The Agonist
Gareth Porter | Washington | Sept 22
IPS – The U.S. threat last week that “all options” are on the table
if the Pakistani military doesn’t cut its ties with the Haqqani
network of anti-U.S. insurgents created the appearance of a
crisis involving potential U.S. military escalation in Pakistan.
But there is much less substance to the administration’s threatening
rhetoric than was apparent. In fact, it was primarily an exercise in
domestic political damage control, although compounded by an emotional
response to recent major attacks by the Haqqani group on U.S.-NATO
targets, according to two sources familiar with the policymaking
process on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
One source close to that process doubted that there was any planning
for military action against Pakistan in the immediate future. “I’m
sure we’re going to be talking to the Pakistanis a lot about this,”
the source told IPS.
Despite the tough talk about not tolerating any more high-profile
attacks on U.S. troops, the sources suggested, there is no expectation
that anything the United States can do would change Pakistani policy
toward the Haqqani group.
