U.S. Regards Maintaining ‘Frustrating’ Pakistan Ties as Vital

The U.S. is taking a more demanding approach to Pakistan since Osama bin Laden’s May 2 death, pressing for increased counterterrorism cooperation just as the Pakistani public and the nation’s powerful officer corps are calling for less.

The tension is reflected in a Pew Research Center poll published June 21 that shows 69 percent of Pakistanis see the U.S. as “more of an enemy” than a partner -- even after $20 billion in aid over the past decade -- and in U.S. threats to cut assistance unless Pakistan steps up its terrorism fight.