Pakistan is spinning the deal with the U.S. to reopen NATO supply routes to Afghanistan as a triumph of its diplomacy. But it was Islamabad that climbed down from its extortionate demands and accepted the status quo ante. That's a big change from previous situations when it was able to extort more aid out of Washington.  The deal ended a seven month-long diplomatic standoff that began with a NATO incident on the Af-Pak border in November and led to the closing of land routes through Pakistan. Islamabad sought a full apology from the U.S. for provoking the firefight in which 24 Pakistani troops died. But Washington says the Pakistanis opened fire first in the border clash, and even now it offers a carefully worded statement that it's "sorry for the losses."  Islamabad sought a transit fee of $5,000 per supply truck as a concession, up from $250. Pakistan is settling for the original transit fee, which is good news for the U.S. as it won't have to use a more expensive supply corridor through Central Asia as NATO draws down in Afghanistan.  Pakistan's demands were partly bluster from the military, which has been looking to salve its pride since the Osama bin Laden raid. But the Obama Administration wasn't exactly eager to make nice with a country Americans increasingly believe is acting in bad faith. The generals also noticed that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta last month reached out to their traditional rivals in New Delhi, and their usual paranoia probably kicked in. It's useful to remind Pakistan it's not indispensable.  The other reason Islamabad adopted such a stance and stuck to it for so long is more worrying. The ruling party—beleaguered at home—had whipped up so much jingoism that it feared a political backlash if it backed down easily. Opposition politicians, mostly from religious parties, are now threatening protests against the government, so Islamabad could yet try to back out of the deal.  Pakistan's leaders find it convenient to open the Pandora's box of radical Islam and anti-Americanism for short-term gains. It's Pakistan itself that has paid the highest price for that ugly bargain.
Islamabad backs down on NATO transit through the country as Pakistan's anti-Americanism exacts a diplomatic price, The Wall Street Journal writes in an editorial.