“We are concerned about the public opinion polling numbers in Pakistan,” said spokesperson Victoria Nuland.
The comments come as US-led forces continue to fight Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, ten years after the coalition invaded the landlocked country on October 7, 2001 in the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The spokesperson told the daily briefing that the US continues to engage Pakistanis at various levels to work on “absolutely essential” issues.
“This has been one of the key focuses of our Embassy in Islamabad, to try to give an accurate picture to a broad cross-section of Pakistanis about all that we have tried to do as a nation to support Pakistan’s own democratic reform efforts, education in Pakistan, quality of life, micro-lending, economic projects.
It’s sometimes hard to permeate, given the intense emotions about other aspects of the relationship.”
Nuland did not name “other” aspects of the relationship, but recent polls and Pakistani experts suggest that contentious dimensions of the fight against terrorism like the US drone strikes against al Qaeda elements hiding in the tribal areas, a tilt towards India, massive retaliatory terrorist bombings on citizens and frequent allegations against Pakistan for shortcomings in Afghanistan, fuel anti-Americanism in the country.
At the briefing, the spokesperson noted that the US civilian assistance to Pakistan, which has not been touched, is all focused on “trying to strengthen Pakistan’s own efforts to grow the economy, improve and modernize education, to help more people out of poverty.
“We will continue to make those efforts to support Pakistan.”
US special envoy for the region Marc Grossman is currently on a trip to Central Asia and will visit Pakistan this weekend to hold discussions with Islamabad on counter-terror cooperation and bilateral relations.
“We are engaged intensively with Pakistan at all levels. That engagement will continue. Marc Grossman will be there over the weekend, and we look forward to continuing to try to work together on these absolutely essential issues, both for their security, for our security, and for the region,” Nuland said.
Relations between the two countries began to sour this year with the Raymond Davis episode, after the CIA contractor killed two young men, and worsened after the unilateral American action against Osama bin Laden hideout in Abbottabad.
Most recently, the US has alleged that there are some contacts between militant Haqqani group, blamed for recent attacks on US interests in Kabul, and Pakistani security agencies.
Islamabad has rejected the allegations.
COMMENTS (24)
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US image in Pakistan only. They must think globally. Making fool to their own innocent People and killing others even kill their own.
US AID is nothing but blood money! Paid to us to bury the dead from the drones!!
Yippeee !!!! More billions coming our way !!!!
The problem with PAK is that she needs some enemy for her continued survival in domestic affairs. Otherwise the people by now would have revolted against their own government.
It used to be India all the time. But now she is off the hook and now it US. Once the US withdrawal is complete, it will be Afghanistan and the bad guy will be India again but in Afghan focus. One could hear the tuning of the drums in this regard.
The US should stop worrying less about what PAK people thinks and should focus on the big picture.
One of these days PAK people will learn their true history and the aid and assistance given to her by US since the beginning of Indus canal systems. PAK would have never attained food self sufficiency without those and other developments. PAK people will learn how Indian army restrained itself at the advice of US time and time again when PAK was meddling in India affairs.
yes USA is so concerned!! thats why they rebuke pak every day now.
@Chengez K: why did “New Coke” fail?
the only way is to stop meddling in the Muslim world and behave like a resposible supper power.
@Cautious:
I thought the same corrupt set up was bestowed on Pakistan thru NRO with kind blessings of United States Govt.
@Suqlain Haider - Islamabad: I do not agree with you that USA has done all you mention here. All America has done is brought more misery and violence in this region. Its Amerca put Pakistan is bad position. This is USA who harmed Pakistan a lot in last 10 years. They never tried to understand Pakistans point of view and concerns.
The US has expected Pakistan to risk its own national security at the expense of US's. Pakistan has done this repeatedly. Allowing drone attacks, causing the deaths of thousands of innocent lives, and according to the Economic Times, suffered a loss of US$68 billion since becoming an ally to the US in the "war of terror". In return, Pakistan has received $15-17 billion, a figure which includes reimbursements of $8.2 billion through the Coalition Support Fund.
The US is now fighting a war Obama promised to end in his election campaign and to bring the boys home. A promise that was not only never kept but things have gone from bad to worse with the escalating war and regional issues.
With elections in the US approaching, he needs to give a reason why he failed to deliver on this most important promise. Replacing al-Qaeda with the Haqqanis and the supposed involvement and complicity of the ISI with the Haqqanis is the card to be played.
Too little - too late. American could/should have demanded that the Pakistani govt quit lying to it's people about the drone attacks and quit using America as a distraction to keep the people from focusing on the corrupt and inept management of the country.
What about Anti-Pakistanism which has become norm due to biased US media. Pakistanis have been suffering all over the world because of this. They have become a common target for anti-social behaviour; but who cares.
Get Real.....stop telling Pakistan that India is a friend of Pakistan.
Look at Afghanistan from Pakistan eyes......also remember why "New Coke" failed?
I am more concerned about image of Pakistan in US and West!
@Suqlain Haider - Islamabad: USA... wrong ? Nothing. Since F.D. Roosevelt, the USA are distributing democracy like candy in South America, Middle East, Africa or South Asia. Everybody knows that.
/mode Obama: off
Well, the US has bigger problems to solve first. Like, preventing its govt to shut down every other week. I guess its image will stay like it is now.
u slap and give aid u slap and give aid
this aid has no meaning for us pakistanis ..if such an aid is accompanied with a slap of allegations..better not give aid in the first place..because its usless... china's $10million is much better than US' (so-called) $2.7b...
Image og obama is worst in US itself than in Pakistan.A price for poking its nose in others affairs
this is very disappointing - majority of my fellow citizens in Pakistan lose rationality and logic in criticizing the US when it comes to Afghanistan - I want to ask them 'what wrong has the US done to Afghanistan in trying to have them a trained national army, police, health-care and education systems and above all a system of political governance in a mostly tribal war lords oriented, drugged and 'unfit-for-development' country?
Image is not something that a few billion dollars in aid can't fix.