Anti-American feelings in Pakistan have been soaring. Some polls show over 90% of respondents expressing hatred or anger against the US. These public sentiments have been worsened by Republicans in Washington who talk about seizing Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, making Pakistan’s province of Balochistan a separate state, or putting Pakistan on America’s terrorist list.

There are even rumbles from the far right and pro-Israel neocons about attacking Pakistan. America’s failing war in Afghanistan is being blamed on the Pakistan-backed Haqqani Network, which is ironic because during my days in Afghanistan in the 1980s, Haqqani was a CIA favorite.

Washington’s not-so-discreet threats of punishment have abated for the moment thanks to the mess in Syria and the rising threat of war against Iran. But Pakistan remains a potent generator for anti-American jihadist sentiment and for rising anti-Muslim sentiment in America.

The US supposedly went to war in Afghanistan to punish anti-American groups, yet now it ends up creating far more enemies in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the truck craziness has reared its head again. Supply trucks for US and NATO forces are backed up at Pakistani border points supposedly because of security threats.

Trucking supplies into northern Afghanistan via the Black Sea, Russia, and Central Asia has reportedly been costing the US $100 million monthly at a time when 47 million Americans live below the poverty level.

On top of this, the Taliban and its allies are annoyed that the truck convoys have stopped. Why? Because the US was paying them off millions in baksheesh to let the convoys pass.

Talks last week in Washington between CIA Director David Petraeus and Pakistan’s new intelligence director Lt. Gen. Zaheer ul-Islam were said to be cordial but not discernibly productive. Nor were talks between top Pakistani and US generals. Diplomats seem to have dropped out of the picture.

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