Blog # 5- Shaken by increase in attacks since 2001, many Pakistanis fault U.S.

In Pakistan, there has been a sharp incline in suicide bombings. Pakistan’s pre 2001 alliance with the U.S., had a singular occurrence of suicide bombing. Since then there have been 335, including one example that occurred in 2009. Two suicide bombers detonated a suicide bombs in the International Islamic University cafeteria in 2009, sending projectile ball bearings through the air. Muhammad Irfan Malik’s 17 year old daughter was caught in this attack and died from the injuries she obtained. When searching for where to place blame, the Pakistanis turn directly to the common factor of change, the U.S. They believe that their involvement with the U.S. has spawned the increased targeting of the Taliban demonstrations like this one. Malik says, “The government is siding with the United States. The people are not.” Washington has provided billions of dollars in aid to Pakistan, and to them it seems like a cut and dry situation. They think that the attacks should simply be a driving point to encourage the countries stance against Islamic militancy. However, for Pakistan, who never considered this their war, it is not such a simple situation. The aid that is received from the U.S. is given to the government which the people believe is corrupt. Malik’s family applied for aid after the death of his daughter, and received nothing.

This point of view calls a couple of things into question concerning the global issue that is the war on terror. Is the U.S. really helping the countries that it is aligning with? Or could it be causes unwanted attention of the Taliban, therefore increasing risk of attack? The most important question now is, should the U.S. proceed?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/shaken-by-increase-in-attacks-since-2001-many-pakistanis-fault-us/2011/09/19/gIQAFe9D0K_story.html