By virtue of the portfolio of Defence Secretary for which he has been nominated by President Obama it is only natural for Chuck Hagel to worry that aid to Pakistan serves to protect US strategic interests, yet as a nation on the front-line, there are our own strategic compulsions that we would like to look after even when they are in collision with those of others. There are words of Ambassador Richard Olson to more or less the same effect who stated that they seek help from Pakistan free of any strings. Unless the change in ties is genuine it will not be long-lasting.
Senator Kerry, who has been confirmed by the Senate to take up the mantle of the Secretary of the State, tried to make it explicitly clear to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the US policy towards Pakistan was more than troops and drones. Where it heralds a new beginning of ties marred by lack of trust, a thorough consideration of the hard rock we are stranded on by the Capitol Hill will not come about as easily as it appears. This is despite the fact that entire world bears witness to the sacrifices Pakistan has made arguably more than any other nation while cleaning up a mess not of our own making. Both the allies stand to loose rather than gain anything from this US attitude. It is a common enemy that can be eliminated best by cementing the spirit of camaraderie and caring for each other’s interests.