Former National Security Adviser Urges Lawmakers To Stand By Pakistan

By Philip Bunnell

Retired General James Jones, the former National Security Advisor for the Obama administration, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday that while Pakistan may not be doing enough to fight terror, lawmakers should attempt to see the situation from the country’s perspective.

“If you were to have a discussion with the Pakistani military they would pivot into the direction of saying ‘look, you say we’re strategically important and this is the key to…the region and what you want to do in Afghanistan, but in terms of the quantity of military aid we have received… [the USA] hasn’t done much,” Jones said during an appearance before the committee.

The retired general cautioned of the “strategic consequences of a failed state in Pakistan,” and that if the United States wanted to be successful in Afghanistan that, “the roads to that success go through Pakistan.”

Jones’ testimony follows the U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, an act that has resulted in a flurry of diplomatic barbs fired from both countries, further straining the already tense relations between the two countries.

Many American politicians have called into question Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terror, considering that bin Laden was living in Pakistan close to a prominent military academy.  That sentiment was echoed in Tuesday’s hearing by several senators, both Democrat and Republican.  Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) observed that “we’re now going through an evaluation, whether Pakistan is our ally and friend,” and asked if the relationship with Pakistan was worth it financially.

Senator James Risch (R-ID) voiced similar concerns, stating that he “had a real difficulty explaining to people back home in Idaho what we’re doing spending millions of dollars in Pakistan, particularly on civilian matters, when they don’t like us.”  Risch pointed out that, despite strong American humanitarian aid in response to 2009’s devastating flood in the country, polls show that Pakistani popular opinion is still decidedly anti-American.

Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) agreed that the United States-Pakistan relationship is “not a perfect situation,” but pointed to the many sacrifices made by the Pakistanis. 

“We do have to remember in this country that Pakistan has sacrificed enormously in the fight against violent extremism,” Kerry said, adding that, “over 35,000 of its citizens have died as a result of extremist violent acts,” and that “over 5,000 of its soldiers have died in efforts to go into the west and take on the insurgents.”

Kerry has recently returned from a trip to Pakistan aimed at soothing relations between the two countries.

The hearing coincided with reports of a NATO helicopter trading fire with Pakistani soldiers in Northern Waziristan. Pakistani officials reported that two of its soldiers were injured in the skirmish.