US Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has said that military ties between Pakistan and the US are going through a rocky phase - but added that this situation would not affect civilian ties.
Speaking at his last press briefing before he retires this fall, Mullen was subjected to a barrage of questions by foreign correspondents at the National Press Club’s Foreign Press Centre.
When asked about the state of relations with Pakistan in the light of the decision to put a hold on $800 million in military assistance, Admiral Mullen said that it was not all the assistance going to Pakistan. “Part and parcel of the decision was not to impede, in any way, aid to the civilian side specifically,” he said.
Despite the strain, Mullen said “I don’t think that we are close to severing” those ties and that he hoped the two nations will soon find a way to “recalibrate” those ties. Still, Mullen acknowledged: “We need to work through the details of how this (recalibration) is going to happen.”
Based on his interaction with the Pakistani military leadership, Admiral Mullen said that they, including army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and his Pakistani counterpart General Khalid Shamim Wynne, were supportive of continuing the US-Pakistan relationship. “They want to see peace and stability in the Af-Pak region, which is critical to the US,” he said.
Mullen has earlier suggested that the Pakistan army or the Inter-Services Intelligence agency likely killed journalist Saleem Shahzad, who had reported about militants infiltrating the military.
In response to another question, Admiral Mullen said that military relations between India and the US are going very well and should grow stronger. In his opening remarks, Admiral Mullen said that the US will be working with India on the issues of non-proliferation and countering terrorism.
US does not want permanent bases
The United States has no interest in creating permanent military bases in Afghanistan and does not want to use the country as a platform to influence neighbouring countries, the new US ambassador to Afghanistan said on Monday.
“We have no interest in permanent bases in Afghanistan,” said new US Ambassador Ryan Crocker shortly after he was sworn in at the US Embassy in Kabul.
“We will stay as long as we need to and not one day more. We have no interest in using Afghanistan as a platform to project influence into neighbouring countries,” he said adding that, “Our sole interest is in Afghanistan’s security and sustainable stability in order to ensure the country will never again become a haven for international terrorism.” Washington is negotiating with the Afghan government to define long-term American role in the country beyond 2014, when Nato troops are due to leave Afghanistan.
It remains unclear whether the ‘strategic partnership’ agreement would explicitly refer to possible US military bases in Afghanistan beyond 2014. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has also said the possibility of long-term US bases can only be addressed once peace has been achieved.
Afghanistan has complex relationships with Pakistan and Iran, who see the country as vital to their own security and fear US moves to undermine their influence there, while both China and Russia are wary of US ambitions in the region. The US may be keen to keep bases for attacks on targets inside Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas that are believed to pose a terrorist threat.
Crocker had reopened the US embassy in Kabul back in 2001 after Taliban were ousted by US backed forces. Crocker has also served as US ambassador to Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon. (With additional reporting from AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2011.
COMMENTS (9)
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a) Work according to Americans Will... Made Jihadis in 1980... Pakistan was Strategic Partners b) Work according to Americans Will... called Jihadis as Terrorist in 2001... captured hunreds of taliban & Al-Qaida... Pakistan was Strategic Partners c) Now Americans negoitiating with Taliban in 2011..... While Asking Pakistan for Operation against Taliban... Pakistan only asked why we cann't negotiate... they call Pakistanis Terrorist... Terrorists Heaven d) They are reminding Pakistan $ 20 Billion Aid... while ignore pakistan $ 70 Billion losses.... 36,000 people killed... still Pakistanis are terroriest because American unable to contain Taliban in Afghanistan with their sophisticated Technology
Simply if you are working against Americans Will... You are Terrorist
They are using all these ideologies against Pakistan and their people.... end of the day, Pakistanis are killed and americans objects are achieved.
I think we Pakistani's should do a macro SWOT analysis. What are we good at? Are we good at civility or are we good at picking up a fight? Based on what we are good at we should decide the imperative of development and fulfill that aim. It's the easiest OPTION available, and we should be easy on ourselves.
If you think we are good at civility, then, we should get away from disputes and focus on one or two industries or services or agricultural goods that should take the nation to the next level. It can be a government policy that makes it possible, rather than wait for that to happen we can organize ourselves, the intelligensia gets together and gets some VC funding to set up Organizations of Pure Profit and Progress.
But some may think, Mullen Man is afterall right. Life of a nation is only about it's relationship with the United States of Americass. Yes you may think that, there's no harm in thinking that until you are contributing to Organizations of Pure Profit and Progress.
If you think we, as a nation, are good at Barbarism and picking up fights. Then let's sacrifice our lifestyles, give it away for a grand fight. But do you really want that? Do we really have enough balls and equipment and Profit and Progress to make that happen? Before we Plunder we need Profit.
Realism Bites But Guys,. Start Earning and Start Supporting Your Nation. Make Business Love. And do not make War. Prioritize. Create.
Americans are, have always been and will always be fair-weather friends. History tells us that they do (and will) ditch anyone, the moment their interests are served. Let there be no misunderstandings on our part. Pakistan should not feel cosy about its relationship and should deal with Americans knowing well their mindset.
@My Name is Khan: Your comments are words of wisdom however, Pakistan needs act decisively on two fronts ie internal security and economy.
There are many options for the USA, including Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics and India to name a few. However, Pakistan does not have too many richest and most powerful countries in the world to bank on. For almost a couple of decades the world wants to know if Pakistan is going to be a fundamentalist Whabi state or a progressive democracy. As the time goes by no other country would want to be friends with a Pakistan full of terrorists. We have to make a decision whether we want to be in the community of civilized world or a pariah rouge country? Blaming, accusing, attacking, name calling is only going to confirm the belief that Pakistan is not heading in the right direction. Denying OBL’s presence in Pakistan, Jihadist organizations, terrorist networks, strategic assets can fool some Pakistanis but not the enlightened people of the world.
In America, there is a saying: "No sh-- Sherlock!" Thanks for stating the obvious Admiral Mullen. Pakistan and the US just can't be friends. We Pakistanis have to fight a battle internally about what the future of Pakistan is going to be. Do we want to be another Afghanistan or Somalia as our friends like Zaid Hamid would like us to be or do we want to be like Malaysia or Turkey - a successful, moderate Islamic nation.
Until we answer that question, I think we should stay out of the business of making allies and enemies. Right now though it seems like Pakistan is making a lot of enemies and no allies at all.