Pak-US Relationship

[Neo]

US will extend $7.5 billion under Kerry Lugar package during 2010-14: National Assembly panel informed

ISLAMABAD (March 03 2010): The United States has decided to extend $7.5 billion aid under Kerry Lugar package for agriculture, energy, good governance and humanitarian and social services during five years (2010-14). Secretary Economic Affairs Division Sibtain Fazal Ali informed National Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division here on Tuesday that the US will provide financial assistance to the tune of $1.5 billion annually with a total amount of $7.5 billion during the five years (2010-14) under the Kerry Lugar package.

The committee met in the parliament house with Malik Azmat Khan MNA in the chair. Senior officials of the Economic Affairs Division were also present. He said Pakistan has agreed to spend $7.5 billion under Kerry Lugar package on good governance, elimination of corruption, strengthening of security and legal institutions and making investment in high impact and high visibility programmes during 2010-14.

Under the projections of the US assistance for 2010-14, the Secretary EAD said $3.5 billion investment would be made in high impact and high visibility programmes. These programmes included political rights, girls' primary education, government effectiveness, rule of law and control of corruption. The US economic assistance of $2 billion would be spend on promoting agriculture in the country; $1 billion as support for permanent solution to Pakistan's energy crisis and $500 million on other programmes.

Out of a total of $7.5 billion, nearly $2 billions would be spent on civil liberties, political rights, voice and accountability, government effectiveness, rule of law and control over corruption. The areas where investment would be made to achieve the said objective has been identified as improvement in national and local governance project worth $1 billion and improved security and legal institutions project worth $1 billion.

The Secretary EAD informed the committee that about $2 billion would be spent on projects such as improvement in focused humanitarian and social services in the country. Approximately $500 million would be spent on immediate post-crisis and other humanitarian assistance and $1.5 billion on increased access to quality of education and health services in Pakistan.

He said the US Congress has already approved authorisation of $7.5 billion US economic assistance for Pakistan; however, the approval for its appropriation is still awaited. He further informed the committee that the US has provided $5.277 billion economic assistance to Pakistan during last eight years 2002-03 to 2009-10.

The US debt worth $1.495 billion has been written off, $247 million have been provided for emergency supplement programmes, $174 billion for cash transfer, $1.2 billion economic assistance (budgetary support) and $363 million assistance for combating narcotics. The United States has recently signed agreements for disbursement of $899.5 million to Pakistan for current fiscal year 2009-10 for emergency supplement programmes, cash transfer and economic assistance as budgetary support.

Under the Strategic Objectives Grant Agreements (SOGA), the USAID and Pakistan have signed six agreements amounting to $478.5 million on September 30, 2009. These programmes included education sector reforms programme $107 million, governance programme $32 million, economic growth programme $124.2 million, health and population welfare programme $50.1 million and Fata development assistance at $115.2 million.

Out of this assistance Pakistan has so far received $107.5 million mainly $44 million for IDPs, $85 million for BISP and $45 million for HEC. The remaining amount worth $247 million would be released to Pakistan for upgradation of Jamshoro Thermal Power Station, Muzaffargarh Thermal Power Station, Guddu Thermal Power Station and replacement of 11000 pumps of agriculture tubewells in the country. Agreements in this regard are yet to be signed.

He said the US utilises its economic assistance through its own partner organisations in the private sector mainly NGOs and the United Nation organisations, however, present government is in consultation with the US authorities so that this assistance is spent through government of Pakistan's official machinery for more transparency and efficient utilisation of funds for peoples benefit.

The committee was further informed that presently all US assistance being disbursed to Pakistan is grant or aid based and the country would not be required to pay it back. It was also informed the United States is utilising its aid in areas that have already been declared priority areas by the government of Pakistan.

[Neo]

The Pentagon tends to agree

EDITORIAL (March 12 2010): At long last Washington seems to be coming round to accepting the logic of Pakistan's perspective on the war against terrorism. For far too long Islamabad's grim struggle to stem the tide of ever-surging militancy on its western border, at an enormous cost, evoked nothing but the 'do-more' mantra, as mandarins in the American establishment doubted Islamabad's sincerity - often prompted by an unhelpful media in the west.

But if General David Petraeus's recent TV interviews are any indicator that attitude looks like undergoing a profound transformation, possibly in line with the Pentagon's growing sense that by and large, Pakistan has been, unduly and wrongly, short-changed.

Of late, the Pentagon trio - Secretary Defence Robert Gates, Admiral Mullen and General Petraeus - have been generally on Pakistan's wavelength, particularly in respect of Islamabad's military operations against the Taliban.

It may be too early to deduce that the United States has lent endorsement to Pakistani positions on issues like Pakistan's concept of 'strategic depth' on its western border, the operation in North Waziristan or its handling of local extremists and militants. But what General Petraeus told the CNN and PBS networks over the weekend clearly suggests that the Obama administration is now fully prepared to shed the unilateralism that defined the Bush-Musharraf approach in the war against terrorism in this region, by going along the line drawn by Pakistan.

There has been a mismatch of perceptions and even of policies between Washington and Islamabad on this issue, but the US general seemed to be saying that that is in the past now. He had no hiccups about the much-maligned and misunderstood concept of 'strategic depth' issue: Pakistan "has an interest that is somewhat different than ours, and that is their strategic depth and always has been for a country that's very narrow and has its historic enemy in the east".

That is accepting Pakistan's genuine interest in the political stability of Afghanistan. Another issue where the United States seems to be harmonising its position with Pakistan is to change its tack on the 'do-more' mantra.

Not only did General David Petraeus refrain from asking Pakistan to launch a military operation in North Waziristan, in fact he accorded his appreciation to Islamabad's standpoint that the areas already cleared of militancy, like the Swat-Malakand Division and South Waziristan have to be restored to normality before undertaking another operation.

The Pakistan Army and other security forces, he said, have already put "a lot of short sticks into a lot of hornets' nests over the last 10 months". The US generalship has realised that sacrifices offered by Pakistan in battling the Taliban and other such brands of militants and extremists are too precious to be trivialised.

May be this change of attitude on the part of the Pentagon is attributed to recent arrests by the Pakistani authorities of half a dozen key al Qaeda and Taliban operators, alive and sleeping, by those who always tend to see "some scheming" on the part of intelligence agencies. That's rubbish. Who could be more anxious in laying hands on these merchants of death than Pakistan where terrorism has wreaked havoc - not too infrequently at the orders of Pakistan's known enemies.

Yes, there is a 'symbiotic relationship' between various extremists groups, but that has a much more pronounced global orientation than regional or local - otherwise why should there be such a thrill in the United States over the reported capture of Adam Gadahn. It's good the Pentagon has come to comprehend the reality of the war Pakistan is waging against terrorists and extremists.

But it should go a step further and make sure that Pakistan is treated as an equal partner. Not only its commitment has to be valued as honest and earnest, which it is, its citizens too have to be treated at par with the rest of the world citizenry. What happened at Dulles International Airport the other day when Pakistan lawmakers had to return in a huff is not going to help this partnership.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?i...term=&supDate=

[Mastankhan]

Hi,

Some in the american administration have begun to realize and understand that they have got their feet stuck in quick sand. The sinking feeling in their hearts is not that of emotional quality but that of their body being dragged down slowly into the abyss.

All this rara of the american might has come back to haunt them during their private discussions. Their underestimation of the afg has made them pay a terrible price in man and material. They are in so much disarray that the americans cannot move any logistics through afg without making payola to either the taliban or the warlords---paying the taliban for safe passage of their equipment.

Tragically for the afg and lucky for the american govt---the american public is so very concerned about its economic welbeing, they are extremely worried about their jobs, welfare, unemployment checks, houses in foreclosure that they have not had the time and energy to confront their govt over this diddlydoodah war.

Wouldn't you think that it is high time for the american public to ask and confront their elected members about this war which seemingly has no end---it is being fought in a lackadaisical manner for so long without any purpose and goal.

Pakistani intelligence services have committed a coup de grace by arresting Mullah Maradr and his cohorts---the afg Karzai and the U S were playing a different game alongwith india---this arrest has shook them up pretty good.

It is a tangled web, nothing good will come out of it---.

[Neo]

The forthcoming Pak-US strategic dialogue

EDITORIAL (March 16 2010): Upgraded in terms of participation and expanded in terms of scope, the Pak-US strategic dialogue in Washington, next week, will contend with an enormous agenda, with issues on the table ranging from giving a last big push to their co-operative effort against the Taliban, to removing bilateral mistrust to deepening American involvement in people-focused programmes.

Departing from past practice, the Washington meeting would be held at the level of foreign ministers and its participants would include forces' chiefs, heads of their intelligence establishments, in addition to representatives from non-military ministries and departments.

Headed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmud Qureshi, the Pakistani team will include Pakistani Army chief General Kayani, accompanied by the ISI chief Lieutenant General Shuja Pasha, and some ministers, particularly the one dealing with energy, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. For quite sometime Pakistan has been trying to convince the US government, albeit with limited success, it's not the military alliance against the Taliban alone that can provide a durable basis for a productive relationship.

No wonder, the press release, issued after a high-profile conclave in Islamabad over the weekend, underscored the need to place Pak-US relations in a "concrete and endeavouring framework", for people-to-people co-operation relating to economic, defence, security and social sectors. Of course, there are a few responsive moves, like the offer to help Pakistan's energy sector.

If the vibes from Washington are any guide, President Obama is almost exclusively fixated on military victory against the Taliban and that it should come before the end of year, when the US Congress goes for elections. But in the meanwhile, developments on various warfronts have been taking turns. These developments are quite propitious for the forthcoming strategic dialogue.

For one, the American generals directly connected with war in the region have come to realise that without taking Pakistan on board, the war against Taliban cannot be won. So, this American move to keep India out of the war theatre. Secondly, the Americans are also coming round to the Pakistani position that it is for the Pakistan government to decide, if and when to launch the operation in North Waziristan or anywhere else.

Not surprisingly then Richard Holborn, the US special envoy to the region and President Obama's point man, now says that it is for General Kayani to decide, if and when, to launch military offensive in North Waziristan or any other restive area. That is a big U-turn from the position US officials would often take last year and before.

Another factor that seems to have cleared the ground for a closer co-operative outlook between the United States and Pakistan is the arrest of some important Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan, prompting Holborn to claim that the al Qaeda is under "fantastic pressure", although it remains to be seen if the captured leaders were still effective and constituted the core of their militancy networks.

From the Pakistani perspective, the forthcoming strategic dialogue in Washington has the potential to become a make-or-break event, having a serious impact on the future of the Pak-US relationship. Pakistan has made enormous sacrifices and suffered immensely in this war, and, possibly, it cannot go beyond what it has in aligning with the international community in general and the United States in particular.

Its losses far outweigh others', and, ironically, it would remain a national moot point if Islamabad really wanted the Afghan Taliban to be ousted, surrendering the space to its potential enemies. However, in the situation as it evolves, Pakistan seems to have decided to accept the new reality of the situation.

But to keep Pakistan steadfast, it needs to be assured by its western allies of better understanding and co-operation. For one, Pakistan would like to be assured that the post-war Afghanistan doesn't become a den of Indian intrigues against it. Two, Pakistan should be adequately compensated for the losses it has suffered due to this war; otherwise its beleaguered economy is bound to breed discontent and anger that, in turn, will produce more suicide bombers.

The kind of 'compensation' now being offered is too miserly and tends to become more an issue of ridicule and contention than of friendship and camaraderie. The Washington should go beyond all this and break fresh ground - because that may be the last chance.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?i...term=&supDate=

[Neo]

New approach in ties with US

By Baqir Sajjad Syed
Thursday, 18 Mar, 2010

Islamabad feels it is time to tell Washington to move on from symbolism and concretely address Pakistan’s core security concerns and economic needs. –Photo by AP

Front Page

ISLAMABAD: In a qualitative difference in Pakistan’s approach to the United States, Islamabad will, at the renewed Strategic Dialogue with Washington, seek ‘tangible deliverances’ particularly on its strategic concerns and wouldn’t settle for short-term relief measures.

The fourth round of the Strategic Dialogue on March 24, being dubbed by Pakistan’s foreign policy gurus as the ‘renewed process’, is expected to be one of the most intense diplomatic engagements the two countries had in the recent past.

Major politico-security stakeholders, including several federal ministers, army chief, director-general of ISI, and a number of federal secretaries will leave for Washington on Saturday to attend the meeting. The US representation at the dialogue, upgraded to ministerial level, will be equally strong. The team will be headed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Other members will be National Security Adviser James Jones, Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke and a number of other top officials of the Obama administration.

The level of participation by both sides, analysts believe, is indicative of the desire of Islamabad and Washington to give a new meaning to their bilateral relations hitherto marred by trust deficit.

“This round is going to determine the future of Pakistan’s relations with the United States,” a top official told Dawn, after attending one of the preparatory sessions aimed at developing a unified perspective among the country’s state organs for this engagement with Washington.

Pakistan is often referred to by Washington as a ‘key regional player’ and a ‘major non-Nato ally’ with whom it eyed a ‘long-term engagement’, but it is probably the first time that Islamabad’s strategists are feeling that the time has come to tell Washington to move on from symbolism and concretely address Pakistan’s core security concerns and its immediate economic needs.

Among the issues on which Islamabad desires solid assurances are protection of its legitimate interests in Afghanistan; normalisation of relations with India, including resolution of the Kashmir issue; end to instability in Balochistan; accepting Pakistan as a declared nuclear weapons state and thereby quashing all rumours that the US was secretly working to defang the country.

On Pakistan’s wish-list is also a strong desire for civilian nuclear cooperation on the pattern of India-US deal. Although Pakistan primarily wants nuclear cooperation to meet its growing energy needs, the issue has a political connotation also because Islamabad doesn’t want to see itself discriminated against and at a disadvantage vis-à-vis India.

Strong emphasis from the Pakistani side, senior diplomats at the Foreign Office say, is also expected on market access for its products to US and economic assistance at the dialogue, which now includes new strands like strategic stability, security, public diplomacy and health.

The Pakistani contingent will specifically tell the American interlocutors that the economic assistance needed to be fast tracked to arrest the economic decline believed to have been worsened because of the war on terror. The disbursement of Coalition Support Fund, a mechanism for repaying expenses incurred by Pakistan for supporting US counter-terrorism operations, has been sluggish and so has been the release of funds under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act. Only $400 million has so far been released under the aid legislation enacted last year.

Pakistan this year slashed its public sector development programme by over Rs150 billion because of shortage of funds.

Quite pragmatically, Pakistani policymakers are not deluding themselves into believing that their ties with the US will transform overnight and they will gain major concessions. But, they want the process to start.

“The extent to which the US is ready to accommodate our concerns and constraints will be a test of this engagement,” a senior army officer engaged in preparations for the visit remarked.

Senior officials say they will try to carefully use their leverages, which are largely Afghanistan related, to make the most of the dialogue.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/...h-US-830-zj-07

[Neo]

Pakistan to ask for more understanding at US talks

Friday, 19 Mar, 2010

Al-Qaeda on the run: CIA Director Al-Qaeda on the run: CIA Director ISLAMABAD: Claiming that it has bowed far enough to US interests, Pakistan will use next week’s high-level talks with the Obama administration to seek more recognition for its part in the fight against terrorism and get Washington to acknowledge its concerns about rival India.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi will chair the talks in Washington to thrash out issues that have confounded relations between the two countries and contributed to deep mistrust and a prevasive anti-American feeling among Pakistanis.

“Pakistan has done its bit! That is my answer,” Quereshi said in the run-up to the talks that will cover security, economic development and a crippling energy crisis that leaves many parts of the country without electricity for up to eight hours a day. “We have already done too much.”

Retired Gen. Talat Masood said perceptions abroad of Pakistan as a “villain, a scapegoat” undermine relations and contribute to widespread anti-Americanism.

“In America, if anything or everything is going wrong in Afghanistan, it is blamed on Pakistan. When acts of terrorism occur, Pakistan is accused,” he said. “Similarly, in Pakistan, everything that goes wrong is blamed on the United States or India.”

Even though Pakistan has sent forces into South Waziristan and some other areas along the Afghan border and tacitly permitted US missile strikes on insurgent targets on its soil, the government here feels it has been unfairly slammed for not doing more – although US officials have recently praised the Pakistanis for their efforts.

Regional experts say Pakistan will be looking to Washington to recognize the threat it perceives from its eastern neighbor India, against whom it has fought and lost three wars. Pakistan is concerned that Indian economic and political involvement in Afghanistan could lead to unfriendly governments on both its eastern and western borders.

Pakistanis have widely criticized the US for suggesting that Pakistan move more of its troops off its eastern border with India and send them to its western border with Afghanistan where al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters maintain sanctuaries.

“In these talks it has to be understood why Washington thinks that India is not a threat and Washington has to understand why Pakistan believes India is still a threat and that also brings up Afghanistan,” said Tanvir Ahmed, who heads the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

Islamabad has accused New Delhi of planting spies in Afghanistan to undermine Pakistani interests. Pakistan also has accused India of using Afghan territory to fire up an insurgency in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province and using money and manpower to gain influence over the Kabul government.

India, for its part, accuses Pakistan of failing to crack down on anti-Indian militants operating on its soil, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, blamed for the November 2008 attack that left 166 people dead in the Indian city of Mumbai.
Afghan officials suspect Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the Feb. 26 car bomb and suicide attacks on Kabul guest houses frequented by Indians and other foreigners.

The attacks, which were claimed by the Taliban, left 16 people dead, including six Indians.

Quereshi said Pakistan’s role is key to a stable Afghanistan particularly over the next year as Washington moves closer to July 2011, when it hopes to start withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan.

“If the world has to see forward movement in Afghanistan, it is in 2010,” Quereshi said. “There is recognition in the world that Pakistan can play a key role in the stabilization of Afghanistan. And Pakistan has been requested to play a role in the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai just returned from a two-day trip to Islamabad where he thanked India for its help in reconstructing Afghanistan and told Pakistan – a nation he says is Afghanistan's “twin” – that Kabul welcomed its help in making peace with the Taliban.

Also on the US-Pakistan agenda is $1 billion the United States promised, but has not yet delivered, to Pakistan’s armed forces, military spokesman Gen. Athar Abbas said. The money was promised under the Coalition Support Fund, which the United States set up to reimburse its allies for money spent fighting militancy.

While Pakistan has received more money from the support fund than any other nation, it is also one of the least expensive fronts in the battle against terrorism. The amount the US spends per Pakistani soldier each month is $928 compared with $76,870 in Afghanistan and $85,640 in Iraq.

As a result of Washington’s sluggish repayment, Abbas said the military has been forced to dip into its reserves to finance its battle against insurgents in the tribal regions that border Afghanistan.

Also likely to surface at the talks will be recognition of Pakistan as a nuclear power, an issue that has gnawed at Islamabad since form. – AP

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/...us-talks-sk-02

[Neo]

Obama pledges commitment to Pakistan

Mon Apr 12, 2010

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama pledged a long-term commitment to Pakistan, a frontline US partner, in what he described as their common battle against extremists.

Obama met Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and a handful of other leaders on Sunday, on the eve of a major nuclear summit in Washington, as his administration works to reduce anti-American sentiment in Pakistan.

He opened the meeting "by noting that he is very fond of Pakistan, having visited the country during college," the White House said in a statement.

Obama "also noted that our multi-faceted and long-term strategic relationship goes far beyond security issues," the statement said.

He voiced appreciation for Pakistan's response to an attack last week on the US consulate in Peshawar, offering condolences over the assault and a separate bombing against a rally that together left 46 people dead.

"These two attacks on the same day are important to note because the extremists do not distinguish between us and we are truly facing a common enemy," Obama was quoted as saying by the White House.

The White House said the relationship between Pakistan and the United States was "of significant importance because of the shared values of our countries and the fight we are both engaged in against extremists operating in South Asia."

The United States last year approved a 7.5-billion-dollar aid package to Pakistan in hopes of developing the economy and democratic institutions of the Islamic world's only declared nuclear power.

But Obama has had to strike a careful balance as he also seeks to develop warmer relations with Pakistan's historic rival India.

Obama met earlier Sunday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who urged the US leader to put pressure on Pakistan to rein in extremists responsible for the deadly 2008 assault on Mumbai.

The White House made no explicit mention of the Indian concerns in its account of the meeting with Gilani.

The United States also has longstanding concerns about nuclear proliferation from Pakistan.

Policymakers are said to have quietly drafted a crisis plan in case the nuclear arsenal risk falling out of the control of the government, which is fighting an insurgency by Taliban and Al-Qaeda linked militants.

Before leaving for the United States, Gilani assured the international community that Pakistan's nuclear weapons were safe.

In an interview with The New York Times last Monday, Obama also said he felt "confident that Pakistan has secured its nuclear weapons."

But the newspaper reported this Monday that three months ago, US intelligence officials examining satellite photographs of Pakistani nuclear facilities saw wisps of steam coming from the cooling towers of a new nuclear reactor built to make fuel for a second generation of nuclear arms.

These images, the report said, made it clear that Pakistan was getting ready to greatly expand its production of weapons-grade fuel.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/10041...mit_pakistan_2

[Neo]

Obama tells Gilani he is ‘very fond of Pakistan’

AFP/Washington

US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Gilani participate in a meeting at the Blair House on Sunday in Washington, DC
President Barack Obama said yesterday he was “very fond of Pakistan” and pledged a long-term commitment to the frontline US partner as he met Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Gilani was among a handful of leaders Obama met separately on the eve of a major nuclear summit in Washington as his administration makes a concerted effort to reduce anti-American sentiment in Pakistan.
Obama opened the meeting “by noting that he is very fond of Pakistan, having visited the country during college,” the White House said in statement.

Obama voiced appreciation for Pakistan’s response to an attack last week on the US consulate in Peshawar, offering condolences over the assault and a separate bombing against a rally that together left 46 people dead.

“These two attacks on the same day are important to note because the extremists do not distinguish between us and we are truly facing a common enemy,” Obama was quoted as saying by the White House.
The White House said the relationship between Pakistan and the US was “of significant importance because of the shared values of our countries and the fight we are both engaged in against extremists operating in South Asia.”

Obama “also noted that our multi-faceted and long-term strategic relationship goes far beyond security issues,” the statement said.
The US last year approved a $7.5bn aid package to Pakistan in hopes of developing the economy and democratic institutions of the Islamic world’s only declared nuclear power.

But Obama has had to strike a careful balance as he also seeks to develop warmer relations with Pakistan’s historic rival India.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topic...1&parent_id=23

[Neo]

US Pakistan Policy

Friday April 16, 2010

By closing our eyes, the devil would not disappear. One seriously doubts if some one has really given any serious thought to US President Barack Hussain Obama‘s last years statements. While delivering speech regarding new US strategy in War on Terrorism US President Obama said what should have opened the eyes of many “Al Qaida and its allies, the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attack, are in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Multiple intelligence estimates have warned that Al Qaida is actively planning attacks on the United States homeland from its safe haven in Pakistan. And if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban, or allows Al Qaida to go unchallenged, that country will again be a base for terrorists who want to kill as many of our people as they possibly can.” He said, “The future of Afghanistan is inextricably linked to the future of its neighbor, Pakistan. In the nearly eight years since 9/11, Al Qaida and its extremist allies have moved across the border to the remote areas of the Pakistani frontier.

This almost certainly includes Al Qaida`s leadership: Osama bin Laden and Ayman-al-Zawahiri. They have used this mountainous terrain as a safe haven to hide, to train terrorists, to communicate with followers, to plot attacks, and to send fighters to support the insurgency in Afghanistan.

For the American people, this border region has become the most dangerous place in the world.” Mr Obama further said that Terrorist attacks in London and Bali were tied to Al Qaida and its allies in Pakistan, as were attacks in North Africa and the Middle East, in Islamabad and in Kabul. If there is a major attack on an Asian, European, or African city, it, too, is likely to have ties to Al Qaida`s leadership in Pakistan. The safety of people around the world is at stake.”

In fact what US President made Islamabad to realize was that the terrorists within Pakistan`s borders are not simply enemies of America or Afghanistan, they are a grave and urgent danger to the people of Pakistan. US views that Al Qaida and its extremist allies are a cancer that risks killing Pakistan from within. President Obama has already announced the road map for the conditions to help Pakistan to over come economic crisis. Washington has declared that campaign against extremism will not succeed with bullets or bombs alone so the bill co-sponsored by John Kerry and Richard Lugar that authorizes $1.5 billion in direct support to the Pakistani people every year over the next five years would be the turning point. This money would be spent on areas including building of schools, roads and hospitals, and strengthen Pakistan`s democracy.

Another bill co-sponsored by Maria Cantwell, Chris Van Hollen and Peter Hoekstra that creates opportunity zones in the border regions to develop the economy and bring hope to places plagued with violence cannot be ignored irrespective of its present status. In addition, US has spelled out that Pakistan must continue to work with the IMF, the World Bank and other international partners.

As regard to the military part, US made it clear that it will focus its military assistance on the tools, training and support that Pakistan in order to root out the terrorists. The US President made it ample clear that US will not and cannot provide a blank cheque on mixed results. US clarified that it will provide Pakistan with funds only on confirmation from its intelligence about high-level terrorist targets So Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out Al Qaida and the violent extremists within its borders. In fact, the US policy regarding Pakistan resolves around the speech of US President and some hidden objectives. In the US new strategy the key persons, other than those invisible hands in Washington, are General David Petraeus, Bruce Reidel and Karl Eikenberry.

US claims that they framed the new strategy after consultation with US military commanders and diplomats in Afghanistan, Afghan and Pakistani governments, partners and NATO allies and the donors and international organizations. It is true that these stakeholders have been informed about the US intentions in the shape of so called ‘US new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.’ But there was no consultation. The new strategy has bee in fact imposed upon us by Washington. There is no doubt that US Washington gave Pakistan only two choices regarding its new strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan: either to accept the strategy by choice or by coercion and blackmailing.

Now when US President has authorized Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to submit a regional strategy report on Pakistan to the Congress, many things would be quite embarrassing for the Washington to digest. As it is mandatory by the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, also known as Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill to submit this report, there seems no other option. Under Section 301 of this Act, which was passed on October 15, 2009, the US President is required to submit this report to the Congress before April 15, 2010 but one wonders if Washington can ever dare to reveal this report to American tax payers.

As per the provisions of the Bill, the US President shall develop a comprehensive interagency regional security strategy to eliminate terrorist threats and close safe havens in Pakistan, including by working with the Government of Pakistan and other relevant governments and organizations in the region and elsewhere. Those who matters in White House were quoted to have been engaged in whispers that more effective counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism efforts are needed in Pakistan in the NWFP, FATA, parts of Balochistan and parts of Punjab. One wonders that where are the development projects and reconstruction in war devastated areas in Pakistan, as there appears not even a fraction of 1.5 billion dollars “Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009” visible on ground. Can Washington justify renovation of two odd schools and construction of some sewerage lines in streets sufficient progress in a period of over six months? Today, the NWFP, FATA and Balochistan are bleeding with a little or no purpose. Would anyone be able to justify additional attacks in the country just to make Hillary Clinton’s regional strategy report on Pakistan more real and enterprising?

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?226569

[Neo]

"Substantial improvement in Pak-US relations"

Wednesday, 21 Apr, 2010

US to help Pakistan tide over energy crisis US to help Pakistan tide over energy crisis ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke on Wednesday said that the Taliban insurgency carries out its attacks on US and Nato-coalition forces in Afghanistan from sanctuaries inside Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
He said that the United States will provide assistance on economic development and will make sure the new military equipment is delivered to Pakistan.

He said that the insurgency Pakistan faces is “very dangerous both to them and to the United States."

Talking to the US media in Washington, Holbrook said that compared with 15 months ago, US-Pakistani relations have shown substantial improvement.

He said that the US-Pakistani Strategic Dialogue was a tremendous step forward in establishing a strong relationship based on common interests.

The US representative also said that "Pakistan needs our support to resolve huge economic, energy and water problems ... and the US is working with the Pakistani government to meet those pressing needs."

He said that the $7.5 billion aid package authorized by the Congress has now been funded and money will begin flowing into Pakistan.

The United States has been working closely with the International Monetary Fund to make standby funding agreements extended for Pakistan.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/...elations-ss-03