Frank message: Clinton told Pakistan to shut down safe havens
Testifying before Congress after a trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Clinton said she delivered a "frank" message to Pakistan that it was urgent that action against the extremist Haqqani network be taken, which she blamed for anti-US attacks in Afghanistan.
(Read: Work harder to 'squeeze' Haqqanis, Clinton tells Pakistan)
"I explained that trying to distinguish between so-called good terrorists and bad terrorists is ultimately self-defeating and dangerous," Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"No one who targets innocent civilians of any nationality should be tolerated or protected.
"We look to Pakistan to encourage the Taliban and other insurgents to participate in an Afghan peace process in good faith - both through unequivocal public statements and by closing off the safe havens," she added.
(Read: U-turn?: Convince Taliban to talk, US asks Pakistan)
Clinton used unusually strong language on last week's trip, saying that US tolerance has worn thin after indications that the Haqqani network is targeting Americans, including through a 19-hour siege of the US embassy in Kabul.
The top US diplomat supported the assessment of the outgoing US military chief, Admiral Mike Mullen, who last month said that the Haqqani network was a "veritable arm" of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence.
During Clinton's visit, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that both her country and Afghanistan can do more against militants but denied any official support for the Haqqani network.
Surprisingly, while in Pakistan, Clinton admitted that the US itself had made attempts to hold talks with the Haqqani network, even had held a meeting with them. At the end of her trip to Pakistan, she stressed that Pakistan must broker talks between the US and the Haqqani network.
(Read: Change of tack on the Haqqanis)
Pakistan, once the primary backer of Afghanistan's Taliban regime, switched sides to join the United States in its military campaign after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
COMMENTS (24)
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@Parvez Amin: "Did any one ask you to police the world?' In a lawless world, if you are a decent man, you would welcome a "sheriff"! That is only if you are indeed a decent man! "Were you invited into this area?" Yes, indeed US was "invited" into this area by the Big Sheikh who later turned into fishfood. Unless you were born after 9/11, you should remember how the "invitation" was delivered by a personal courier at the Twin Towers. "Are you welcomed or feared?" Again, decent men would and do welcome the "sheriff". If you do not, then you must fear him. That is the whole idea! "I hope you get the point." Again, what point was that? "If all the answers are ‘No!’, its time to go. Isn’t it?" Evidently, it is not the time to go! The answer is still "NO"!
Mother in law is always harsh on her daghter in law..... it carry meaning. .
i always wonder that this US is like a police of Pakistan, if you are Friends with them, you are in trouble and if you are in contradiction, still the same :P
“No one who targets innocent civilians of any nationality should be tolerated or protected"..HAHAHAHAHa...good one Hillary, ma'am so called friend of ours :)
@MarkH: So let the yank begin. Obviously you have not read the statement of the Indian FM K Menon with French FM Alain Juppe to the press.
Wherever the Americans go they leave behind a trail of "Death Destruction and Damnation." Take care of your homeless and jobless citizens rather than poke your nose in the Afghans backyard.
Rhetoric for domestic consumption.
@M Rahman: We should consider ourselves to be lucky that the sole super power is against those people who are and have been killing our own people. Although, It is unfortunate that civilians have died in drone strikes but on the other hand the criminals it has killed are the same who would have killed thousand more if alive. Its not that if US leaves this area, these people will open their shop and start selling roses ... they are going to start killing our own people ... If people think that our LEAs will control them if in case they turn against us then think twice ... They couldn't capture a bus drive living in Khyber Agency openly killing people .. neither could nab Mullah Fazullah from Swat who was not much different that the former one.
Pakistan can ill afford to loose its friends, either at the white house of the Taliban. Its a catch 22, the generals waded the nation into, to feed their megalomania-cal dreams.
There has got to be a jaw-dropper. No exhortations will help with Pakistan. They have gotten away literally with murder for far too long!
Friends being in denial mode does not help for long. No point sticking one's head in the sand like an ostrich.There are no good or bad terrorists. Sooner or later the good one's can turn into a Frankenstien monster and devour the maker.
@Khan: You're really not in the position to demand anything. You're just going to get your leash yanked. These are nicely worded warnings. Not desperation.
I dare any top Pakistani official com out and tell the world that Mrs. Clinton is lying. Who is going to believe Pakistan after being found red handed in bed with OBL?
This is as true as Iraq having Stock Piles of "Weapons of Mass Destruction".
Seems that the US & ISAF forces need a scapegoat in Pakistan. The fact is that resources were diverted from Afghanistan to Iraq and the insurgency allowed to fester for many years in Afghanistan. Even today the US & ISAF forces barely control southern Afghanistan. Do you really expect us to believe that the root of all ills in Afghanistan is a band of militants along the Pak-Afghan border? I have yet to see anyone in the US administration admit their faults in being overconfident, incorrectly assessing the terrain, not understanding the local tribal culture or dynamics, backing the wrong assets in the Northern Alliance & Karzai (the unrepresentative Pashtoon), and lastly opening up several war fronts without controlling Afghanistan.
Screws are tightening and without realizing the consequences you dummys keep on thumping your hollow chests.
Now a General is aying Pakistan Military is militants to fire on US force. Where do you think this is going?
Looks like Haqani is Taliban of 2001. The Taliban made US attack Afganistan and it looks as if Haqani will bring US boots to Pakistani soil.
Mother-in-Law must understand that Son-in-law has his own strategic interests which doesn
t align with her. The strategic assets that we have cultivated are the second line of Defence which we cannot forego. The Army/ISI cant say it obviously, but thats what it is.Testifying before Congress Hillary said ““No one who targets innocent civilians of any nationality should be tolerated or protected”.
Hillary. I want to ask you one question.
What do you think about USA itself, who is killing “innocent civilians” in Pakistan through drone attacks.
I am asking you a frank question.
It shows that pakistan is supporting Haqqani network that's why Clinton is repeating again and again shut down save heaven, she never specked ill about pakistan befor it. I prefer Sharif's sentence, 'where there is smoke there is fire.
just stop this rant? will ya, pls.
Here u go Mother in Law speaks again.....
Here we go again, It appears that the US is obsessed with the Haqqanis ,like anything. If the Americans and the British do not want to loose anymore troops , they must leave Afghanistan immediately.