US Expert Compares Pakistan Mediation to Fascist Italy in World War II
American analyst Michael Rubin has sharply criticized the Trump administration's choice of mediators for negotiations with Iran, particularly Pakistan. In a statement on Monday, Rubin argued that relying on Islamabad to resolve the "Iran problem" is equivalent to Franklin Roosevelt depending on fascist Italy to solve the Nazi Germany problem during World War II.
Pakistan's Track Record Under Fire
Rubin, Director of Policy Analysis at the Middle East Forum, detailed Pakistan's history of undermining US interests. He pointed to Pakistan's support for the Taliban, the harboring of Osama bin Laden, and the role of nuclear scientist AQ Khan in seeding Iran's nuclear program. "Pakistan has repeatedly shown itself as unworthy of any sort of trust," Rubin said, adding that Islamabad likely finds US reliance on it amusing.
Mediation as a Double Game
According to Rubin, Pakistan's goal as a mediator is not to achieve a final agreement but to prolong tensions. "They're going to ensure behind the scenes that there never is a final agreement and that there will always be chaos from which they can function, basically trying to both be the arsonist and the firefighter getting paid by both," he remarked.
The criticism comes as a US-Iran peace agreement is expected to be signed in Geneva later this week. Rubin warned that choosing mediators who want one side to lose is a strategic mistake the US keeps repeating.
