Arms to Pakistan, Military Cooperation Pact with India, Pakistan Upset

i posted w-a-a-ay back on the $1.3B u.s. weapons sale to pakistan, paid for by the u.s. department of defense, no less... i speculated at the time on what india's reaction might be... come to find out that india just recently signed a "defense cooperation agreement" with the u.s. that "outsources" military functions to india, including joint- operations in third countries, patrolling of sea-lanes and disaster relief operations... well, whaddaya know... now, pakistan's nose is outta joint...

Alarm and dismay have been the general reaction in Pakistan to news of a framework agreement on defence cooperation signed between India, its long-standing rival in South Asia and the United States - which, only a year ago, accorded this country the status of ''major non-NATO ally''.

[...]

[Said Mairaj Muhammad Khan, senior politician and former minister of a Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government] thought that the net effect of the Indo-US agreement would be that ''both countries would now have their attention diverted from social sectors and worsen the problem of widespread poverty they both face in order to find ever more resources for military spending.''

i sure as hell can't pass myself off as any kind of expert in south asian affairs but this strikes me as either deliberately divisive or monumentally stupid... india and pakistan, two nuclear powers, have been engaged in a peace process that has taken them further than they have managed to go since the territory was carved up 50 years ago... what the hell does the u.s. think it's doing...?

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