Daily Times, March 10, 2006
Military sanctions against Pakistan costly: Rumsfeld
WASHINGTON: Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Thursday that the United States “lost a generation of relationships” with the Pakistani and Indonesian militaries because of sanctions that were imposed against both over the years.
Based on that experience, Rumsfeld said it’s important that the US “not complicate efforts to build useful relationships with nations that can aid in our defense”. Most military ties with Pakistan were severed during the 1980’s because of its nuclear weapons programme. The action against Indonesia was the product of military abuses in East Timor. The result, Rumsfeld said, was the loss of “friendships, contacts, relationships and understanding between the US military and their militaries.”
He said the US military had to renew the ties with these large predominantly Muslim countries “almost from scratch” following September 11. Rumsfeld said he understands the reason why the sanctions were imposed. But, he added, “I think it’s something that we need to think very carefully because as a result of some of those actions the United States is looked at as a less than perfectly reliable friend and ally.” AP
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