[Dawn] US accusations that Pakistain is supporting Afghan Death Eaters have triggered a nationalist backlash and whipped up fears of an American invasion, drowning out any discussion over the army's long use of jihadi groups as deadly proxies in the region.The reaction shows the problem facing the United States as it presses Pakistain for action: Strong statements in Washington provoke a negative public response that makes it more difficult for the army to act against the Islamic fascisti -- even if it decided it was in the country's interest to do so.
Pakistain's mostly conservative populace is deeply suspicious of US intentions a decade after Washington forged an alliance with Islamabad.
Many people here believe the US wants to break up Pakistain and take its arsenal of nuclear weapons, and America is very unpopular throughout the country.
By contrast, Paks lack unity against orcs. Politicians and media commentators are often ambiguous in their criticism of the Pak Taliban, despite their carrying out near weekly bombings in Pakistain over the past four years.
One small private television channel has aired an advertisement that features images of Adm. Mike Mullen, America's top military officer, and Leon Panetta
...current SecDef, previously Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Panetta served as President Bill Clinton's White House Chief of Staff from 1994 to 1997 and was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1993....
, the head of the CIA, along with scenes of the Mighty Pak Army fighting and raising the country's flag.
Each time the Americans appear, a shrill voice sings: "Enemies, you have challenged a nation which has a growing knowledge of the Koran and the support from Allah. Our task in this world is to eliminate the name of the killers!"
Mullen's comments on Capitol Hill last week set off the storm.
He said the Haqqani network, the most deadly and organised force fighting American troops in Afghanistan, was a "veritable arm" of Pakistain's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the strongest public statement yet by US officials on Pakistain's long suspected duplicity.
He and other US officials suggested that the US would use any means necessary to defend itself.
That raised speculation here that America might deploy troops in Pakistain's North
Wazoo territory, the Afghan border region where the Haqqanis are allegedly based.Most analysts view that scenario as highly unlikely because of the risks it entails for US interests in the region.
But it has not stopped right-wing politicians and retired generals that are well represented on TV talk shows from speculating on the threat of American boots on Pak soil.
On Thursday, the leaders of political parties will put aside their differences to sit under one roof to discuss the issue. In announcing the meeting, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
said the politicians will discuss "the security situation in the wake of threats emanating from outside the country."
The Sunni Ittehad Council, an organization representing the country's Barelvi sect, often referred to as the most moderate among Pak Mohammedans, issued a statement saying it was obligatory on all Mohammedans to wage jihad against the United States if it attacked Pakistain.
"The Pak government and the armed forces should start preparing to counter any possible American attack as Islamic law suggests 'keeping the horses ready' to counter any sort of foreign aggression," the statement said.
There have been a few small street protests since Mullen's comments, but nothing major.
In some respects, the situation mirrors the atmosphere after the May 2 American helicopter raid on the late Osama bin Laden
... who no longer exists...
, which was carried out without the knowledge of the Mighty Pak Army.
There was outrage then over the infringement of the country's illusory sovereignty by the US, but little on how bin Laden had been living in the army town of Abbottabad for so long.
Now, the focus is on Pakistain's public humiliation at the hands of a supposed ally -- and the threat of American action.
There appears to have been little debate on whether Pakistain is right if it has allowed the Haqqani network free reign in parts of the country. Nor has there been much discussion of Pakistain's historical use of orc proxies in India.
This is all the more striking because the Haqqani network and other Islamic fascisti are allied, at least ideologically, to the Pak Taliban, who carry out attacks inside Pakistain.
The dominant narrative in Pakistain following Mullen's comments has been that the United States is losing the war in Afghanistan and wants to pin the blame on Islamabad.
The threat posed by the Haqqani network is seen as exaggerated, and tackling them now is thought not to be in Pakistain's interest.
The anger this week at America coincided with the visit of Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu, allowing the media and politicians to peddle another populist trope: that Beijing will be able to replace the United States as a source of funds if and when Pakistain chooses to sever its ties with Washington.