Why do allies sometimes pretend to believe one another's lies? There are good reasons and bad, as new evidence about the U.S. relationship with Pakistan demonstrates.
Throughout its "war on terrorism," the United States has had to rely on Pakistan. Though Washington may occasionally have believed its trust was abused, the Pentagon's need for overflight rights or landing bases, crucial for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East, trumped diplomatic niceties.
The American people may wonder if this trumped self-respect as well. Seasoned investigative reporter Seymour Hersh recently wrote about Pakistan's possibly problematic role in the U.S. capture of Osama bin Laden for the London Review of Books.
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