Pakistan and the U.S.

On CNN's Larry King Live Gen. Musharraf stated that the change in environment had led to the change in his country's policy toward the Taliban. He emphasized that Pakistan's national policies had to adapt to the prevailing environment and justified the adjustment in Pakistan's policy toward the Taliban on the basis of "ground reality". After all, according to him, the environment before and after Sept. 11 was drastically different.

But Gen. Musharraf did not use the same yardstick when talking about the shift in American policy toward Pakistan. He stated that Pakistan was left in the lurch after the defeat of the former Soviet Union and that it had led to a sense of betrayal and abandonment. He further stated that one of the prime topics discussed in Pakistan was whether the U.S. would abandon Pakistan again after the anti-terrorist campaign against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.

Had the Taliban chief, Mullah Omar, been interviewed by Larry King, he (former) would have probably expressed the same feelings.

When Gen. Musharraf changed Pakistan's policy of abandoning the Taliban on the basis of environmental changes, why did he complain about the U.S. doing the same? He should know that the current marriage between Pakistan and the U.S. is a marriage of convenience and is likely to end as soon as the Afghan war is over due to changes in "ground reality" and the "environment".

K.B. KALE

Pune, India