Petraeus Warns of Declining Public Support in Pakistan for U.S.

[katty]

more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aaf2CmgTek4Q&refer=home

Petraeus Warns of Declining Public Support in Pakistan for U.S.

By Tony Capaccio

May 29 (Bloomberg) -- Public support for the U.S. is declining in Pakistan because of military strikes there that the U.S. conducts from Afghanistan, according to the top American commander in the Middle East.
“Most polling data reflects” an increase in anti-U.S. sentiment, General David Petraeus said, without identifying the source of the polling.

Pakistanis are angered by “cross-border operations and reported drone strikes” that they believe “cause unacceptable civilian casualties,” Petraeus wrote in court papers supporting President Barack Obama’s decision not to release photographs showing the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Releasing images “depicting, or that could be construed as depicting, U.S. forces abusing detainees who would likely be depicted as ‘fellow Muslims’ would undermine” the Pakistani government’s efforts to bolster support for the U.S., which is helping Pakistan fight al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in its ungoverned northwest provinces along the Afghan border, he said.

The U.S. Justice Department yesterday asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to reverse its order that the photos be released. Petraeus’s statement was part of the department’s filing.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Ohhhhh!

:cry:

[Bluenorthwest]

2. His basic argument is that if they know the truth about us

they will not put up with our killing civilians, and that is a hell of an argument made for a hell of a reason. He is not saying the abuse is not true, just that we need to lie about our nature and our history if we want to sleep soundly in occupied nations.

[katty]

4. yep that ship has already sailed: everyone knows...too late

[MasonJar]

3. According to two very knowledgeable (about Pakistan) men on Bill

Moyers two weeks ago, the radicals only represent about 3% of Pakistanis. Pakistan is a secular nation, where women have equal rights. They certainly do not intend to let Talibanism take over their country. Sound familiar? Iraq was also a secular nation where women had most rights. Look what we did to women in Iraq. Are we destined to bull our way around the world making bad choices for other peoples and destroying their lives and our credibility and humanity?