Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Today’s question: How much should we pay China to take Pakistan off our hands?

I think I understand why China is reaching out to Pakistan.

PAKISTAN-CHINA-DIPLOMACY
PAKISTAN-CHINA-DIPLOMACY
Pakistani labourers arrange a welcoming billboard featuring pictures of visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) and his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain (L) and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (R) in Islamabad on April 18, 2015. Pakistan needs a "huge amount of financing" for infrastructure and energy projects and China is ready to announce help when President Xi Jinping visits next week, a foreign ministry official said April 17, 2015. AFP PHOTO / Farooq NAEEM (Photo credit should read FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP/Getty Images)

I think I understand why China is reaching out to Pakistan. Still, friends like those . . .

I think I understand why China is reaching out to Pakistan. Still, friends like those . . .

I wonder what exactly we got for our money over the last 14 years.

Farooq Naeem/AFP/Getty Images

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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