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| The Classified Arms deal |
The United States and Pakistan maintain one of the most paradoxical relationships in modern geopolitics—a bond forged in strategic interest but shadowed by duplicity and hidden agendas. While Pakistan is globally recognised as a hub for terrorism, with groups like the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba finding safe haven within its borders, the U.S. has persistently treated it as a key ally, particularly since the Cold War and more aggressively post-9/11 during the so-called War on Terror. Despite receiving over $18 billion in U.S. military and economic aid between 2002 and 2011, Pakistan has been accused of playing a dangerous double game—publicly supporting counterterrorism efforts while covertly backing terrorist factions to further its regional ambitions, particularly against arch-rival India. Disturbingly, many Pakistani nationals with links to terrorist groups have lived undetected in the United States, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of U.S. intelligence operations and even hinting at wilful negligence by agencies like the CIA. Is this merely incompetence, or is it an intentional strategy? Critics argue that by allowing certain elements to slip through, the U.S. maintains just enough global instability to justify increased defence spending and secure lucrative arms deals, thereby feeding its own military-industrial complex. In 2023 alone, the U.S. exported nearly $2 million in weapons and ammunition to Pakistan, including over $1.2 million in handguns—an indicator that cooperation remains alive, if not publicised. At the same time, the U.S. treads lightly when addressing Pakistan’s aggression towards India and its support of insurgency in Kashmir, opting instead for a diplomatically silent approach, which many view as a political cover-up designed to maintain strategic control over South Asia. The Indian government has repeatedly voiced its frustrations, only to be met with diplomatic platitudes. The result is a dangerous precedent: a nation openly accused of breeding terrorism is being armed and legitimised by the global superpower. This relationship is not just a failure of intelligence—it’s a calculated compromise, where ethics are sidelined in favor of influence, where terrorism is tolerated if it aligns with geopolitical interests. It’s time for American citizens—and the global public—to wake up to this grim reality. Behind the curtain of diplomacy lies a dangerous game of power, profit, and manipulation. Until the nexus between state-sponsored terror and global political expediency is exposed and dismantled, true international peace will remain an illusion. Silence is complicity, and the world can no longer afford to look away.
