Can US Rebuild trust in Pakistan?
Gates acknowledged a “trust deficit” with Pakistan and that resolving it won’t be easy or quick. But he attempted to address conspiracy theories undermining perceptions about the United States, including suspicions that Washington is secretly planning to grab Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. He told a gathering of officers at the prestigious National Defence University that this was part of an “organized propaganda campaign” by insurgents to discredit the United States. He also took questions from the officers on a range issues, including the war in Afghanistan. “That kind of interaction is quite critical,” said Shuja Nawaz, a Pakistan expert who directs the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council in Washington, saying it would impact subsequent conversations within the Pakistani military. Gates also addressed suspicions with Pakistan’s media, telling one interviewer: “We have no intention or desire to take over any of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. We have no desire to occupy any part of Pa
