Pakistan is aware that we’re pulling out soon. There is no good reason, other than financial gifts, for it to side with the U.S. in any manner, and considerable reason for it to turn against us. If Russia had the money to bribe them to throw us out on our cans immediately, we would be out. But right now, we’re the high bidder. We won’t be for long, though, because increasing unfriendliness on Pakistan’s part will motivate congress to cut them off. But it probably won’t do so entirely, for the reason mentioned below.
The Taliban is Pakistan’s stepchild; a counter to Iran that we’re obviously unwilling to provide to it, to Iraq, or to anyone, and when we’re gone, Pakistan’s support for the Taliban will continue unabated.
In that event, we will be trying to bribe Pakistan to at least prevent the Taliban from carrying out attacks on the U.S. here and abroad. Pakistan will sometimes cooperate, and sometimes it won’t, depending on the amount of money we give them and their own contempt for us.
