As reported in the press (Express Tribune, March 19), the American embassy wrote to our Foreign Office earlier this month to complain, surprisingly, about the harassment of embassy and consulate staff by our law enforcers whereas the fact is that these are the Americans who have been killing our people from the sky, shooting them on the road, even trampling them under the wheels of their car and not handing over the culprits or the car despite our demand, not even apologizing for the unprovoked, deliberate killing of 24 soldiers on Salalah post. There have been numerous reports of Americans traveling in vehicles with forged number plates, carrying arms illegally, and failing to obtain prior permission for visiting certain places.
On receipt of their letter, instead of asking the Americans to behave, our Foreign Office instead is reported to have sent a circular to all the provincial governments, federal interior ministry and law enforcements agencies, asking them to take immediate remedial steps. Now, would that mean that our Foreign Office is asking all concerned to provide every bit of help and cooperation to these saboteurs in the attainment of their objectives?
American officials complain that they experience delays in visa extensions for the existing staff as well as approval of visas for additional staff which they need to disburse $ 7.5 billion aid to Pakistan.  They talk as if they are disbursing $ 7.5 a month or every week, not mentioning the fact that the aid was supposed to be $ 1.5 billion per annum, for five years and in the substantial time that has elapsed, only a small fraction of the promised aid has been disbursed, despite running a 2,500-staff embassy, which Cameron Munter boasted about during his recent three-week stay in the US. Just how many people they need to disburse $ 1.5 billion a year? Anyway, while boasting about generous aid given to Pakistan, he quoted a figure of $ 2 billion disbursed from 2009 up to date, which is much lower than what they give to Egypt, for doing nothing except keeping an inhuman blockade over Gaza, to please America’s master, the state of Israel. So, the Americans are not exactly being over-generous with us, digging deep in their pockets to help us out. Also, what about a substantial portion of coalition support fund running into a few billion, which has already been agreed, but is still being held back? With the record of their assistance being what it is, the US ambassador Cameron Munter had the cheek to say that we should stand on our own feet instead of keep looking towards America for help. He seems to think that it is the US that feeds and clothes everyone of us. He has been encouraged to say that because of the attitude of some greedy people among us who make a dash to grab every cent that he occasionally throws out in charity and end up bringing ridicule and disrespect to all of us. 
There should be no doubt in any one’s mind that the Americans want to bring in spies and saboteurs in the guise of diplomatic staff and experts. We remember very well the case of saboteur and murderer Raymond Davis whom US President Barack Obama falsely described as a diplomat and for whom he claimed diplomatic immunity. According to a book by Ahmed Rashid, titled ‘Pakistan on the Brink: The Future of America, Pakistan and Afghanistan’ as quoted by The Nation in its March 21 issue, while working as a CIA chief, Leon Panetta wanted to establish a parallel intelligence body inside Pakistan hidden from ISI and the idea was approved by the Obama administration and we can well believe that because events clearly point in that direction.
These trigger-happy adventurers are just spreading death and misery all around the globe, not sparing even their own citizens whom they gift healthy Americans brought back in coffins and on stretchers, apart from wasting hundreds of billions of dollars of their hard-earned money, which could be better used in bringing relief to needy people at home.
S.R.H. HASHMI,
Karachi, March 23.