Pakistan's trust forthcoming, Gates says

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- It may take time for the United States to earn the trust of the Pakistani people due to the historical trends of U.S. forces in the region, officials say.

A public opinion survey in Pakistan found that more than half of the people see the United States as an enemy.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Pentagon reporters the finding was no surprise as U.S. forces walked away from the region following the Soviet retreat from Afghanistan in 1989. Washington later cut its military contracts with Islamabad following its successful nuclear test in 1998.

"First of all, one of the reasons that the Pakistanis have concerns about us is that we walked away from them twice," said Gates.

Gates said many Pakistanis question the durability of the latest counter-terrorism offensive in the region given those trends, the U.S. Defense Department said.

"I think that the Pakistanis, with some legitimacy, question how long are we prepared to stay there," he said.

He added, however, that the regional sentiment has improved, as many Pakistanis now view the battle against Taliban insurgents along the Afghan-Pakistani border favorably.

Despite the trends, however, Gates said it might take some time to earn the trust of the Pakistani people.

"I think it's going to take us some time to rebuild confidence with the Pakistani people, that we are a long-term friend and ally of Pakistan," he said.