News
Friday, October 07, 2011
Obama warns Pakistan on extremist ‘connections’
* President accuses Pakistan of hedging its bets on Afghanistan’s future
* US won’t be comfortable with Pakistan if it felt Islamabad was not mindful of its interests
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama accused Pakistan on Thursday of hedging its bets on Afghanistan’s future and warned there were “some connections” between its intelligence services and extremists.
“I think they have hedged their bets in terms of what Afghanistan would look like and part of hedging their bets is having interactions with some of the unsavoury characters who they think might end up regaining power in Afghanistan after coalition forces have left,” Obama said in a White House news conference.
Obama said the United States would not be comfortable in a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan if it felt Islamabad was not mindful of US interests. He said the United States remained committed to helping Pakistan confront its own problems despite concern over ties between some elements of Pakistan’s intelligence services and extremist groups operating in Afghanistan.
“But there’s no doubt that we’re not going to feel comfortable with a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan if we don’t think that they’re mindful of our interests as well,” Obama said. His words reflect a hardening of rhetoric across the US government as officials voice frustration with Pakistan more openly following a September 10 attack on the US Embassy in Kabul.
US officials blame the Haqqani network for that attack and others, and allege that the militant group has ties with Inter-Services Intelligence. Last month, the outgoing chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, went further, saying the Haqqani network was a “veritable arm” of the ISI, which he said had supported it in attacks against US targets.
Obama said the United States and Pakistan were cooperating on a “whole range of issues” and that recent successes against al Qaeda-linked forces in the region would not have been possible without Pakistani help. But he also acknowledged that Pakistan, fearful of traditional foe India and anxious to maintain its influence in Afghanistan as the United States draws down its forces, had been “more ambivalent” about some US goals in the region. Obama, however, said he was not inclined to cut off US aid to Pakistan because he has a great desire to help the Pakistani people. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk