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Could it be true? Are the United States and Pakistan finally laying down their swords and becoming allies? Well, don’t wish for that miracle just yet. The U.S. and Pakistan still dislike each other and the relationship does not seem to be improving.
Pakistan and the U.S. have had a long-standing relationship of interdependency. “The U.S. needs Pakistan to help in the fight against Islamist militants and to serve as a supply transit route for military operations in Afghanistan. Pakistan needs the U.S. for financial aid, and access to international lenders and the global economy.”
Despite these facts, neither Pakistan nor the U.S. truly cares for or relies on each other. This animosity and lack of trust between the two nations may not bode well for the United States efforts to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
At his confirmation hearing, Lt. Gen. John Allen, the Marine nominated by President Obama to become commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, expressed doubt as to whether or not Pakistan would voluntarily target militants who go across the Afghan border to assault U.S. and Allied troops. Allen also stated that Pakistan is delaying a steady withdrawal of U.S. forces in Afghanistan by aiding anti-American militant parties, including the Haqqani network.
U.S. military leaders have clearly expressed unhappiness with Pakistan’s weakening cooperation but are reluctant to leave the relationship alone. According to Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, “We’re giving them $4 billion. And yet sometimes we don’t know if they’re in or they’re out, are they with us or [are] they not?”
Pakistani officials argue that they want to help the U.S. with their fight. However, officials say that restricted military size–not a lack of resolve–is hampering their operations against militant groups.
The troubled relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan grew worse after the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. On May 2, the United States attacked Bin Laden’s compound without letting the Pakistani government know. According to Daniel Markey, a senior fellow for India, Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, “…the operation deeply embarrassed and humiliated Pakistan's intelligence agency and its military, leading to questions about their effectiveness in Pakistan.”
On June 29, defense chief Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar said Pakistan demanded that the U.S. leave the Shamsi airbase in Baluchinstan province. United States officials have declined to comment on Pakistan’s demand to leave Shamsi. However, it seems that the U.S. is unwilling to leave the airbase.
Two Western officials spoke to CBS under the condition that they remain anonymous. One of the officials who closely follows U.S.-Pakistan relations said “I doubt if the Americans will say, right, there is a note from Pakistan and we have to vacate this base immediately [and that] hardliners in the U.S. will probably refuse to accept Pakistan’s demand immediately.” The second official agreed with that opinion saying that the U.S. government has “a great deal of clout in Pakistan. They are not going to simply accept an order from the defense minister and move out.”
The question as to whether the U.S. and Pakistan will ever have a good relationship remains unknown. Right now, these two nations are not getting along and actions by both parties are just creating more resentment. 
Brendan Horowitz is an investigative journalist who has previously covered the War in Iraq and Afghanistan for various leading publications in the United States and United Kingdom. He writes mostly on security studies and international law.
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