Pakistan: An Air Field Controversy

Pakistan's health secretary on Aug. 18 told a Pakistani Senate committee that government flood relief efforts around Jacobabad were being prevented by U.S. control of the region's Shahbaz air base. However, STRATFOR's Pakistani sources say the base belongs to Islamabad. The testimony and other similar statements are likely politically motivated and engineered by the opposition party to undermine support for the government during the flood crisis. Editor's Note: Additional information provided by STRATFOR sources in Pakistan since the original publication of this piece indicates that while the Jacobabad base is controlled by the Pakistani air force, it is used exclusively by the United States.