U.S. terrorism trial may raise tensions with Pakistan...

[Cowtipper]

http://news.yahoo.com...us_pakistan_usa_trial
"A Pakistani-born man accused of aiding militants in the 2008 Mumbai attacks is set to go on trial in Chicago..."

I'm thinking an ad in Islamabad's largest newspaper denouncing Islam with an American flag background could settle things down a little. Its amazing what gets some people worked up.

[237SJ]

If Pakistan wished to have an ad in the newspaper denouncing Islam (which will never happen) why would they want to have an American flag in the background?

[Cowtipper]

A poor way of saying I don't think we can Fosters them off much more than we have already.

[birdie1971]

I may be being a little slow here but are you saying that it is the USA who has antagonised Pakistan?

[Cowtipper]

That's the gist of the story.

[birdie1971]

From the above link - “... "The timing of this is going be read in Pakistan as an ongoing effort to embarrass or attack their credibility," said Juan Zarate”

Juan is quite right. If the Pakistan government or the people of Pakistan think that their credibility is being attacked – it is. And with very good reason.

It is utterly implausible that the Pakistani authorities were unaware of Osama bin Laden's presence in their country. He was living (for approximately three years) in a fortified house in Bilal Towm in Abbottabab which is a mere 1000 metres from Pakistan's largest and most prestigious military academy. The suggestion that the world's most wanted man could live there without senior members of Pakistan's government being aware of that fact is risible. Hardly surprising that the USA (and presumably other 'Western' governments) now views the Pakistan government with deep suspicion. If members of the Pakistan government are displeased with the USA's incursion into their territory to carry out this operation, they are completely failing to see their own culpability.

[birdie1971]

Continued....

I'm no lover of the USA and I dislike their foreign policy with a passion but that does not excuse the Pakistan government from harbouring a known terrorist. If they knew he was there, they are guilty of giving succour to a proxy murderer and therefore cannot be trusted. If they didn't know he was there, they are guilty of breathtaking incompetence and therefore cannot be trusted.

The Pakistan government now has a massive credibility problem and it is entirely of their own making.

[birdie1971]

Cowtipper – My apologies for my earlier stupid question – On first reading, I didn't notice your link to the original story.

[anotheoldgit]

I don't know why this particular trial should raise tensions with Pakistan, taking into account the number of terrorists Britain has put on trial.

It is little wonder that the US or Britain have any relationship whatsoever with that country, because it seems that most of the terrorist networks stem from Pakistan.

http://tinyurl.com/68jf7b4