It is with great relief that Pakistanis heard the good news of Dr Afias daughter, Mariams coming home to her family. Those who played a useful role in her recovery deserve praise, especially Senator Talha Mehmood who chairs the Senate Committee on Interior that took the right step of threatening to block NATO logistics. Pressure is the only tactic that works with the US and none knows that better than Israel. Tel Aviv receives billions of dollar from the US in economic and military aid every year besides unqualified support at all forums. In return, it usually defies and humiliates US Presidents and other senior officials doing nothing but creating problems for Washington. This Achilles heel of the US Presidents, their top administration officials and of nearly all the Senators and Congressmen of America is the cause of a foreign policy that makes Americans the most hated people in Muslim world. This is what General David Petraeus also said in essence recently. In contrast, we Pakistanis provide exemplary services to the US, making huge sacrifices in our own blood and treasure in the process but because of our meek and subservient attitude, especially by our high state officials, we are not taken seriously. Even some very minor US officials of lower ranks have been taking undue liberties with us, opening their big mouths to make all sorts of derogatory remarks about Pakistan and Pakistanis while being feted and hosted in our capital by our state officials and notable people. In fact, our 'traditional reaction to this sort of disgusting tirades is often yet more 'honours bestowed on these minions of the white masters. A recent example is conferring of Hilal-e-Pakistan on Senator John Kerry, as reported in the papers on April 6, right at the time when the coalition support fund, basically a reimbursement of expenditure we have incurred ourselves already, had fallen into arrears of over $ 2 billion. And this mind you, with nothing having been paid for the full year of 2009 -S. R. H. HASHMI, Karachi, April 11.