With the 9-11 anniversary approaching, the US State Department has warned Americans not to travel to Pakistan.  In addition, according to U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Meghan Gregonis, the government has evacuated all non-essential person at the consulate in Lahore and moved them to Islamabad.  This of course is in reaction to a) increased chatter b) credible threats and c) not wanting a repeat of Benghazi. For the time being, only emergency personnel will stay behind.  There is no timeframe as to how long the consulate will remain closed.  According to the State Department, the closure of the consulate was unrelated to the recent closures throughout the Middle East and Africa and is simply a precautionary measure.  But this raises a larger question, does the State Department really need proof of potential threats to recognize that as long as Al Qaeda and terrorists exist, there will always be heightened chatter and increased danger surrounding the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks?   Shouldn’t that simply be taken for granted at this point?  The even larger question should be, what is Pakistan doing to combat these threats of terrorism.  As we now know and have known for some time, Pakistan, although it’s supposed to be the largest Democracy in the world, has long been a sanctuary for terrorists.  No greater example is the fact Osama Bin Laden was hiding out there for years without any repercussions.  And instead of being grateful that the U.S. carried out the attack that killed the world’s most wanted terrorist, the government was angry that we did it within its boarders without first consulting them.  How long would that operation have remained secret in the corrupt government of Pakistan?  The U.S. must start holding Pakistan accountable for the terrorist activities within its borders.  If the government was properly dealing with the terrorist threats, the U.S. wouldn’t have to intervene.