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Clinton heads to Pakistan to discuss its crucial Afghan role
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Clinton heads to Pakistan in the coming days to bolster support in the fight against the Taliban and outline a political endgame to the war in neighboring Afghanistan.As she heads to a donors' conference in Kabul set for Tuesday, Clinton was expected to press her counterparts to step up their efforts against the insurgents.
She will also discuss reconciliation efforts between Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government and "reconcilable" elements of the Taliban.
But Washington considers Islamabad's role in the effort "ambiguous and opaque" at this point, according to the US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke.
Pakistan may be a crucial US ally against extremists in the region, but it also harbors a major contingent of Taliban fighters and their Al-Qaeda allies, who are killing more international forces in Afghanistan than ever before in the nine-year war.
The United States has also repeatedly questioned Pakistan's willingness to stop the insurgents and move away from its historical role of focusing precious military resources to fighting its nuclear-armed neighbor and arch-foe, India.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have been marked by distrust, but there have been growing signs of rapprochement, and Karzai in March welcomed an offer from Pakistan to help with peace efforts.
Courtesy www.Geo.tv