Anti-Americanism rampant in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD -- U.S. diplomatic efforts to persuade Pakistan to reopen NATO supply lines to the Afghan war are proving no match for rampant anti-Americanism here, with lawmakers increasingly unwilling to support a decision that risks their being branded as friends of Washington.

Opposition legislators are demanding that the United States end its drone strikes against militants as a precondition, complicating U.S. strategies for winding down the 10-year war just weeks before a major NATO conference in President Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago.

Relations have been marked by mistrust since the two countries were thrust together after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but shared interests -- near-bankrupt Pakistan needs American aid, America needs Pakistan's support against al-Qaida -- had kept the alliance more or less intact.

That changed in November when U.S. airstrikes inadvertently killed 24 Pakistani troops on the Afghan border, triggering nationwide outrage. Pakistan suspended diplomatic contacts and blocked vital land routes for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Since then, hard-line Islamist and banned militant groups have staged large rallies around the country against reopening the supply lines.

One of the leaders of the movement has been Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group blamed for the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, that killed 166 people.

Late Monday, the United States announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Saeed, who lives openly in Pakistan. Many analysts say Saeed has the sympathy or support of the country's powerful military establishment, which shares his hostility to India. The announcement could therefore be seen as a provocation in Pakistan and could further strain ties with Washington.

Pakistan has placed Saeed under house arrest before, but prosecutors have been unable or unwilling to make charges against him stick.

Pakistan banned Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2002 under U.S. pressure, but it operates with relative freedom under the name of its social welfare wing, Jamaat-ud-Dawwa. The United States has designated both groups as terrorist organizations.