WITH FRIENDS LIKE THIS...

You can finish this old truism: Who needs enemies?

I am referring to our staunch and loyal allies, the Pakistanis, with whom we have the classic love/hate relationship; that is, they love to take our money in the form of billions in foreign aid and then hate us by providing safe havens for our enemies, the Taliban, regularly burning the American flag and giving vigorous anti-American speeches.

Not that everything we've done is beyond reproach. If I were a native and had lost family to an American drone, I might burn a flag or spout anti-American sentiments. I am referring to the Pakistani government. They were furious when we invaded their space to take out Osama bin Laden, decrying the violation of national sovereignty, carefully avoiding the fact that he had been living in their territory for several years under their noses, probably with the tacit knowledge of the Paki Intelligence Service---a real embarrassment. They are the classic split personality: one side wanting our aid and nominally supporting our goals, the other side hating every moment of it and doing whatever possible to thwart our efforts.

Now the latest slap in our face: the sentencing of the doctor who aided us in the effort to nail bin Laden for "high treason". Treason is when you hurt your country by a damaging act; how does ending the career of international public enemy number one qualify as treason? I'll make a prediction: diplomatic pressure and negotiations on our part will ultimately free or greatly reduce the sentence of the doctor. Much oratory will follow concerning sovereign rights and national respect to save face and show independence. Until then, it is a travesty of justice and a demonstration of the paranoia at their highest levels.

Of course, we must tread carefully diplomatically. After all, they are a nuclear nation, and our worst nightmare is having nuclear capability in the hands of a radical element in Pakistan.

In the meantime they do try one's soul.