'Pakistan plays role of fireman, arsonist in Afghanistan'
"It does feel, at times, like Pakistan is playing both the role of fireman and arsonist in Afghanistan," said Democratic Senator Mark Udall, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"The next few weeks will demonstrate or not whether we can work together effectively with the government of Pakistan" against foes like the Haqqani network blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, said Democratic Senator Jack Reed.
Reed said he had pressed top Pakistani officials to curtail the Haqqani network's operations in Afghanistan, notably its couriers, as well as other groups blamed for planting deadly roadside bombs targeting US forces.
"Action needs to be taken in days and weeks" said Udall, who said US intelligence agencies and their Pakistan counterparts have been working together but need to strengthen their cooperation.
"We'd like it to be stronger, we'd like it to be more disclosive, there have been some shortcomings, there have been some mixed signals, but all in all we continue to cooperate with them and they cooperate with us in many ways," he said.
The United States has reported a sharp rise in cross-border attacks against its forces, amid a deterioration of relations after US forces secretly raided Pakistan to kill the world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden.
Top US officials including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Pakistan last month to press for action against extremists, particularly the Haqqani network.
Reed said Clinton's visit had "dramatically" improved Pakistani leaders' attitude towards US pleas for help, citing "renewed interest for the government of Pakistan to cooperate with us," but said he hoped for concrete actions.
"The words are right, the sentiment is right, but there has to be real steps going forward to help us," said Reed, a former US Army Ranger who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"They'll probably be invisible to most people but they have to be very real," said Reed.
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@Sao Lao: Yes, you right, but that's due to having duplicitous & incompetant as well as reluctant Partner in their war on terror !!!!
These americans need to shut up with their conspiracies and propaganda. THEY HAVE LOST THE WAR. ADMIT IT LIKE MAN
Has US ever wondered that this is what they have done? They are both fireman and arsonist. Whichever country they have "liberated" has descended into chaos. Why?
The fire was lighted by US, fanned by US, expanded by US... and now India is dousing kerosene on the fire...
Pakistan is just making sure that our own house does not get damaged by the this fire. Cant blame us for that. Indians need to mind their own business before India also gets surrounded by different types of indigenous fires. India has been unable to contain the small wood-fires in Kashmir even with 700,000 strong army since last 30 years. They dont need us to start put kerosene on existing fires in Punjab, Assam, Nagaland, Mao-istan etc.
With your record in Kahsmir, you would need an army of more than 70 Million to fight these fires for the next 100 years - and then too India would loose....Consider!
The biggest foreign policy mistake the US ever made was supporting the afghan resistance to the Russian invasion. A communist regime would have been infinitely preferable to the fanatical religious monstrosity we helped create, and which has now spread it's tentacles across the world.
While it's all nice and melodramatic to play the "we are victims too" card, the fact of the matter is that pak didn't get into the soviet war to be the good samaritan as you might want us to believe. They were there purely for geo-political and strategic reasons. A) they didn't and still don't want the pashtuns in pak and afg to turn into the headache they can potentially be (durand line). B) pak has a proclaimed policy of strategic depth, i.e., they want to believe that by having a subservient government in afg., they can somehow give india a tough fight in a war. So, please quit parading your victimhood around; your country got into this whole jihad cultivation situation expecting it to benefit them on both the western border with afg and then hoping that these fighters could be used to bolster the proxy war in kashmir. Too bad things have not played out exactly according to plan for pakistan. However, it is really hard to buy into your government's rhetoric that you are somehow victims of a monster created by the west. If anything, you hold equal responsibility in propping up and sustaining these radical groups in your own backyard and around the world.
@nirode mohanty: Pashtunistan is not in PAK and Afghanistan vocabulary, so will not happen. Where does this leave the present fiasco?
Pastuns, a majority in Afghanistan and a minority in Pakistan, want a separate country. This may split Afghanistan as well as Pakistan. Pakistan should negotiate a new boundary to replace the Durand line to accommodate Afghanistan's concern. American should take this into consideration before they leave Afghanistan; it is not Taliban or the Haqqani network that is holding peace. Pakistan must understand that it cannot remote control Afghanistan. India must not interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan. For peace, prosperity, and stability, Pakistan should reject the last decades' policy of hegemony over Afghanistan.
wrong title, it should be,,, US and Pakistan counterparts have been working together in Afghanistan
@Sheldon: Please Sir, for God sake some time please quietly listen to what the world is talking. May be there is some truth in it; may be only 1%. And then please some time mull what will be good in the interest of Pakistan. Pouncing on every one, foe and friend alike is not in the best interest of Pakistan.
In the US, it is justified under "job security"! They can't blame Pakistan for invoking it for their own benefit. Firebomb the convoys and Americans will pay if you don't do that. What is wrong with that? Then why does it make one queasy?
@Amjad: What ever might have happened in Soviet held Af. The truth is that today the fire is burning your home and hearth. More people have been killed in terror attacks then killed in Indo Pak wars. So please extinguish the fire with all might under your command and do not think it is war of USA.
@Rational Mind:
Couldn't agree more. Just like Americans should be more concerned with the massive domestic and global protests that have been unleashed as a result of their flawed politics and financial greed.
What could not be handled jointly by USA and NATO, howcome poor Pakistan can do it alone in few days. Pakistan has already suffered so much that it cannot afford to do any more. Come on. Fight your battle and stop crying like a sore looser at the hands of a rag tag militia.
@Amjad: Pakistan did not do it for free either, they were handsomely rewarded with no questions asked for all the funds provided.
@vasan Right. Actually the Americans do owe us thanks, for the fact that we put our money, blood, national security economy on the line to assist the Americans in this war. Tell me something would the Indians have done the same and cooperated in this war for 10 years? Every millitary tactic has been used, from bases, to drones, to NATO forces, to guantanamo bay to capture, kill and destroy the taliban. You and the Americans, still dont get it whether Iraq or Afghanistan, occupation is an occupation and will never be tolerated. These people come from within the population, and the only final solution is to negotiate with the powerful Taliban, not with the Karzai. Mayor of Kabul can't protect the life of his own brother, you think he can stabilize Pakistan?
Wonder what the senator has to say about the role of his own country and the fires they stoke at the behest of greedy businessmen. They have no moral standing to accuse any other country of being an arsonist. Their holier than thou attitude is sickening considering anywhere they go they leave a trail of destruction.
@Amjad: Thank You:)
American know well,without Pakistan they over come the situation ,impossible, despite all of it their behave toward Pakistan is just like a mother in law.
The blame game will go on, finally someone has to take the blame otherwise it will not be a nice end to Afghan war.
ET should not give it's space to what US sainators have to say......there are many important issues which should be highlighted instead of what two senators out of hundreds have to say about pakistan.......let Foreign Office take care of this
Amjad : "The world owes Pakistan thanks " This is the grandiose by Pakistan. Why the should the world owe anything at all. The mercinary pakistanis took money from US and got screwed themselves. USSR, wisely disengaged from the area and left the soup in Afganistan to cook itself to nothing. Pakistan's faults were too many during the I afghan war for which they are paying dearly now.
After every two day someone from US come up with such statement and next day...some one cool it down...I mean why is it like this...
from my perspective US is only arsonist in the world.It has made whole world an insecur place to be lived in just because of its petty interests.US must be hold accountable for its crimes against humanity otherwise the world will never have peace.
Perhaps we need to remind the world about who put out the fire in Soviet held Afghanistan when Pakistan was a front line state and sacrificed the most. The fire was created when all the foreign fighters and instability was left in Pakistan after Pakistan helped to defeat the Soviets and destabilized itself in the process. The world owes Pakistan thanks and has a responsibility to help the nation get back on its feet. Instead it seems some quarters are trying to use Pakistan as a scapegoat to justify their own shortcomings.
Beginning March when the US presidential election rhetoric heats up, PAK will be in the center of foreign policy debate. The republicans will show that they are tougher than Obama on Pakistan. Ironically, in march the Haqqani and Taliban will come out of hibernation and PAK will be in the spot light whether she likes it or not.
PAK has limited window of opportunity to make up her mind and Bonn conference is coming in December. Frame work has to be established before Christmas holidays, so that agreement can be reached by spring.
Hope PAK understands the time management.
Actually firemen need to create fires on purpose to extinguish bigger fires like the one started by the dimwits in DC.