Pakistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/world/asia/29weapons.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=pakistan&st=cse

In this article in the NY Times entitled "U.S. Speeds Aid to Pakistan to fight Taliban", Eric Schmitt describes the US efforts to help Pakistan get rid of the Taliban influence within their country. This effort is not only being increased by the US but also is being sped up to help the struggling Pakistani government. Military analysts for the US have advised against publicly acknowledging the aid that they are giving to the Pakistanis because of the ammunition that it could provide to the opponents of the government. These opponents include the Islamist parties that oppose the current regime and the various insurgents that exist within the government. This rapid increase in aid by the US has not been solely pushed by the military analysts but also by President Barack Obama and also Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The journal article by Husain Huqqani entitled "The Role of Islam in Pakistan's Future" also talks about the U.S. various aids to the Pakistani government. Huqqani talks about the various ways in which the U.S. has aided Pakistan over the years since they became independent of India. First Huqqani cites the U.S.'s fight on Communism as a time when they helped Pakistan. Since Pakistan was a new country and also very close to the Soviet Union, the U.S. took the opportunity to help out the new Pakistani government and keep the communists from spreading into the country. Next the U.S. helped out the Pakistani government in its fight against Russia along with Afghanistan. Finally it helped out Pakistan in the wake of the September 11th attacks because of their pledge to help out with the war on terror. All of these instances highlight the U.S. continual aid to the Pakistani government. Huqqani also talks about how this aid has provided a massive amount of ammunition for the Islamist parties who do not want Western involvement in the government.

This aid that the U.S. is providing for the Pakistani's more and more has been a continuation of policy that was started in the 1950's. As shown by Huqqani, the U.S. continually has aided the Pakistani government. Because of this aid and the fact that, in the past, it has been public, the Islamist parties in Pakistan have become more and more powerful because of their criticism of allowing western influence within the country. This has served as a lesson for the current administration who has tried their hardest to keep their continued aid of the Pakistani's out of the press. This has kept the government that they want in power to remain powerful within the country and not become incredibly threatened especially now in a time of conflict in the Middle Eastern area.