What is the use in supporting pakistan even though it is a failed state?
AS LF said; it keeps us bothered and distracted. This was a COLD WAR policy that strengthened with Kissinger's arrival and has taken strong roots in US politics. They are driven to keep "balance" in region so that no country becomes powerful enough to challenge their supremacy. Look at the sequence:
- Shook hands with Soviet Union to weaken Imperial Japan first.
- Shook hands with the Arabs to weaken Turks (with British friendship) in WW1.
- Shook hands with Pakistan to weaken us.
- Shook hands with China to irritate Soviet Union.
- Shook hands with Palestine (clandestinely) to keep Israel tied down and vice versa.
- Shook hands with Saddam to weaken a Revolutionary ruled Iran.
- Shook hands with Iran and Pakistan combined to form a regional pro-US alliance against Soviet friends.
So you see, Pakistan is expendable for both USA (and China). They're of no real value. Think about it; if Pakistan gets wiped out of the map all of a sudden; who would it benefit? Us. We'd walk over POK and integrate it, remove AFSPA, remove ARTICLE 370 move with national integration of the state. That would further reduce our troubles and increase our power in the region. With no direct terrorist factory in our backyard, we'd have direct competition against China. ALL our military power would be focused on Eastern sector and economy would grow at easily 4-5% faster than present rate. With lesser troubles, there would be more progress, more political clout which will result in a stronger position. Which means we will began concentrating our influence in our erstwhile territory; Southeast Asia where we have mammoth advantages: Burma, Thailand, Cambodia etc are Buddhist/Hindu countries with similar culture. Trade will boom with even military relations strengthening. This will bug China and since we won't hypothetically have a Pakistan bordering us, they will have no "distractions" for us. Do you know how much trouble we'd be for China who's USA's entwined other half now?
Add to this our very independent and sometimes very fiercely disagreeing foreign policies in world matters, refusing to toe with US demands sometimes.
What does all this say? A fourth pole would come on the planet in a matter of 5-8 years of a hypothetical situation like this:
1- USA
2- China
3- Russia
4- India.
And with many countries commonly strategically friendly to both us and Russia, would mean even faster spread of influence. That would mean one moe competition.
So how to stop competition? Show that you're supportive of them, sell them goodies for good money, and yet continue supporting what keeps them weaker and distracted.
Why does INDIA always bend to the pressure by the U.S. This happened during the 26/11 attack in Mumbai also?
INDIA was under a great pressure by the U.S. and they said INDIA not to attack pakistan.
Also why is the U.S. still hesitating on attacking pakistan after all the proofs they got about pakistan?
Bhai, it wasn't US pressure that sucked this government down. The simple reason is that this government has totally weakened our military for a full blown war. Delays, scams and robbings from our military finance has been commonplace ever since this government took to power in 2004. It only is coming to light now. The real reason why we didn't punish Pakistan is because UPA has weakened the military so badly, propping their own puppets among generals, admirals and marshals for the last 8 years that it was impossible to conduct war. Remember General Kapoor the Congress lackey in Army? He was caught in a scam as well like his political masters.
The trend of no nonsense only changed after ACM Naik took office as the Joint Chief of Tri-Services and the Air Chief Marshal. With the arrival of General VK Singh and Admiral Verma, this
not-going-to-take-nonsense-anymore attitude became stronger as Naik would not take NO for an answer from the government. He started talking openly in public media to the people bringing causes to light. It was the beginning of cracks appearing in relations between military and the government and that's when UPA's downfall started.
During Vajpayee government, when US was much much stronger and influential than today, Pakistan was much more powerful than today and so was this same China present, we didn't back down once and that changed the way world looked at us.
BOTTOMLINE: It was this government that caused us not to strike back in a limited fashion. Not the USA. So get pissed at UPA not at USA.