Ad Pakistan struggles to cope with a devastating flood, the U.S. has stepped in, delivering aid, boxes of biscuits and sacks of flour, and evacuating people from flooded areas by helicopter.  The U.S. has become the single biggest international donor to Pakistan during these troubles and their presence and aid has shifted Pakistani perceptions of America. However, this may not necessarily mean a consistently positive relationship on a political level.

Pakistan’s floods are producing some mind-boggling numbers: 3.5 million children are at risk of disease, and roughly one-fifth of the country is under water. 20 million people have been displaced from their homes by the ongoing deluge.   

And some more disturbing numbers: the UN has asked for $460 million in emergency aid. To date, donor nations have only pledged 35 percent of that amount. A little less than half the donations - roughly $76 million - has come from the United States.

Attitudes towards Americans and American diplomats in Pakistan have become so hostile they border on harassment, according to a new report from The New York Times.  From refusing to approve visas for over 100 U.S. officials, to what some describe as an unreasonable uptick in vehicle searches, relations between Pakistan's military services and Americans are unraveling at a crucial moment for security in the region. We talk about these strained relationships with Marvin Weinbaum, scholar at the Middle East Institue, and Shuja Nawaz, director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council.

President Obama is in Oslo today where he will accept the Nobel Peace Prize. Both supporters and critics alike have asked whether the President is deserving of this prestigious award only months into his presidency.  Jeff Zeleny of The New York Times, Shuja Nawaz of the Atlantic Council and Steve Cohen of The Earth Institute at Columbia University evaluate the President’s policies – international diplomacy, Middle East outreach and climate change – that won him the award.