US Troop Presence in Pakistan Meets Surprisingly Muted Response, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 February 2010
EXCERPT: "A suicide attack Wednesday on a Pakistani paramilitary convoy that killed three American soldiers and five others near a girls’ school in the north was a reminder of the increasing US military commitment to the country. The dead soldiers were among roughly 70 US special forces troops currently training Pakistani soldiers in counterinsurgency tactics as part of a $700 million military aid program in the current fiscal year. They were the first casualties of the training program. US involvement is set to rise, with President Barack Obama proposing $1.2 billion in military aid for Pakistan in the 2011 budget. But while the US military presence in Pakistan is deeply unpopular with the public at large - a poll conducted last October by the US-based International Republican Institute found that 80 percent of Pakistanis oppose cooperating with the US in the so-called war on terror - the response to the attack has been muted. While some analysts had predicted the incident would crystallize Pakistani resistance to the US presence here, since Pakistani children were among the victims, a backlash has failed to materialize."
Read the full story.
Related articles:
Pakistan arrests 35 for bombing of US troops, VOA News, 4 February 2010
Soldier deaths draw focus to US in Pakistan, The New York Times, 3 February 2010
US plan widens role in training Pakistani forces in Qaeda battle, The New York Times, 2 March 2008
Related reports:
Survey of Pakistan public opinion, International Republican Institute, 1 October 2009
Afghanistan and Pakistan: Oversight of US inter-agency efforts [pdf], United States Government Accountability Office, 9 September 2009
Related posts:
Bomb kills eight at school opening, 3 February 2010
Govt resists US pressure, sets limits to the relationship, 21 December 2009
Terrorism’s trojan horse: Vehicle-borne suicide attacks, 9 November 2009
Suicide terrorism in Pakistan, 16 October 2009
