At present the relations between America and Pakistan are dependent on diplomatic factors and policy making. The geo political position of Pakistan attracts attention from both India and China. All the while Pakistan remains one key state in the success of US in Afghanistan. The two nations are attempting to build a strategic relationship but there are many difficulties as they disagree on many issues, which hinder successful cooperation between the two states to fight common threats. Despite many setbacks both America and Pakistan try to maintain a productive relationship to beat terrorist organizations. It has been even assumed and alleged that ISI pays journalists to write hostile articles about the US.
After February 2011, it has been reported that US will suspend strong contacts with Pakistan and even stop economic aid. In fact the Raymond Davis incident happened when he shot down two Pakistani locals claiming that it was in self-defense as they were trying to rob him. Even though he enjoyed diplomatic immunity and despite US demands to be lenient on him Pakistan was very tough on him.
The USAID and the United Nations World food program have officially announced to help Pakistan ease its crisis with $8.4 million. The CIA had long assumed that Osama Bin Laden has been hiding in Pakistan, and that Pakistan has provided a safe haven to the Taliban, India agreed with these accusations; however Pakistan had always denied these accusations. In 2009 the former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf admitted the fact that the foreign aid it had received from the US to fight against the Taliban had been diverted to preparing forces to fight against its neighbors India. US said that it will take these allegations seriously, and Pakistan admitted that it will use this aid in the direction it perceives the most threat from be it India or the Taliban.
Even the Barack Obama administration has been very supportive of US and Pakistan relations; he has said that US will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan and its people long after the guns have fallen. In October 2009 the US congress approved of around $ 7.5 billion of nonmilitary aid to Pakistan in the coming 5 years. The main purpose of this was to improve political and economic stability in regions where US has political interests. In US special Envoy Richard Holbrooke has said that US Pakistan relations have seen improvement, and no other government in the world has been given such high level of attention.
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Even though the relations soured in the beginning of 2011 because of the Raymond Davis incident, Pakistan tried to react to this US act by strengthening relations with Saudia Arabia and China. China tried to warn Pakistan to not take any action which might jeopardize Chinas relations with India or the US. While the Islamic groups in Pakistan passed a fatwa that there should be a jihad against the US and it shouldn’t be called a super power because only God can have that title. It was on May 2, 2011 that Osama Bin Laden was killed by US armed forces in US covert operation without any assistance from Pakistan forces; in fact Pakistan was informed of the incident only after he was killed. There were numerous accusations made that Pakistan had shielded Osama Bin Laden, there were many people in Pakistan that were leaking information to Osama Bin Laden.
All in all Pakistan is a major non NATO ally with regard to War on terrorism and it provides key support to the US, hence it is also a key recipient of aid. However due to the Laden incident some aid was held back. Relations between the two states have their ups and downs depending on the international happenings.