Why U.S. Troops Should Help Pakistan

The numbers related to the floods in Pakistan say it all: 1,100 killed, 25,000 displaced, and 100,000 at risk of waterborne diseases. So where’s the humanitarian aid from the U.S., already such a large presence in the region? Max Fisher, associate editor for the Atlantic Wire, argues that the U.S. military should “step in and use its considerable transportation and construction resources to provide relief.” He gives four reasons why doing so would further our own national interests, saying that strong flood assistance would build Pakistanis’ trust in governance and institutions; work to turn the tide against anti-Americanism; show that the Taliban doesn't have Pakistani interests at heart; and counter Baloch extremism in Iran. Fisher adds that there are plenty of reasons why not to get involved, of course, but stepping in could, as he puts it, “help a lot of people who badly need it.”