WASHINGTON: A top United States (US) senator called for "tough diplomacy" with Pakistan on Sunday and urged Islamabad to cooperate with the US to maintain its financial aid, following cross-border Nato air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani troops.
"There's a lot of diplomacy that has to occur and it has to be tough diplomacy in the sense that they need to understand that our support for them financially is dependent upon their cooperation with us," Republican Senator Jon Kyl said on the Fox News Sunday talk show.
"We do need their support in the region," he acknowledged.
The air strikes on Saturday brought another chill to already frosty relations between the two uneasy allies, with Islamabad still a key partner for US military operations in neighboring Pakistan.
The US, which depends on Pakistan as a vital lifeline to supply 130,000 foreign troops fighting in landlocked Afghanistan, has scrambled to salvage the alliance.
In a joint statement, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have offered "deepest condolences" and said they backed "Nato's intention to investigate immediately."
Senator Dick Durbin, a top Democrat, on Sunday echoed Clinton and Panetta's statement, offering condolences and saying he was "deeply saddened, but warned that the crisis would likely further endanger US troops in the region.
"As difficult as it is to fight our way through this diplomatic morass, between the incompetence and maybe corruption in Afghanistan and the complicity in parts of Pakistan, our soldiers are caught right in the middle of this, at a time when they're trying to bring peace to this region," he said.
Former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, a hawkish foreign policy advisor to former president George W Bush, meanwhile Sunday warned of confronting nuclear-armed Islamabad over US financial aid.
"While it is tempting for many people to say we ought to throw the Pakistanis over the side and stop giving them aid... as long as that country has nuclear weapons that could fall into the hands of radicals and be a threat worldwide, they have incredible leverage," he said.
The United States in 2009 approved a huge five-year, $7.5 billion civilian assistance package for Pakistan, but some US lawmakers have sought to cut civilian aid due to concerns over extremism.
John Huntsman, a former US ambassador to China and current Republican candidate for president, meanwhile said expectations with respect to its south Asian ally "have to be low in terms of what we can get out of the relationship."
Washington "thought we could get more, and we have been proven wrong time and time again," he told Fox News.
COMMENTS (35)
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@BruteForce Russia was super power once. Pakistan 's only problem is bad leadership and lack of institutions that will hold all the leaders accountable. On the other hand the whole west with the exception of Germany will be worse off then the beggars in Delhi who are of course worse off then the beggars in Karachi. Pakistan is fixable, USA my friend is not fixable so dream of more nachos and cheese in your diet shouldn't be far behind. If you speak English and are a white that route to being a global super power is extinct now. Pakistan is located at the most strategic location and all it need is committed leaders for six years who can fix its problems and make it a very good economic power. if Shaukat Aziz can make it compete with Dubai for dollars invested after 911 even a man of his caliber can perform miracle when USA is gone is next year and there are no more explosions in the ISI buildings and police stations. (I wonder why those attacks have come down now recently). Perhaps it may have been due to limiting the roaming of free lancers on streets of Pakistan. Since they have been stopped travelling, those attacks have stopped sharply and Pakistan always blames Indians how misguided were they perhaps.
@MOHMAND: Oh please open the supply routes !!!!Dream on , the Northern Supply Route is already operational since June, and it is working!! It may be bit of inconvenience and slightly push up the cost of a war already running at $120bn a year, but rest assure its not going to hamper the operations in Afghanistan !!! This may show that Pakistan's importance is diminishing, no doubt the Aid too will soon !!! Start planning to survive without Aid, as this country has never really manage to do anything since its creation without Aid !!!
@Aamir: Kick them out from Shamsi Airbase, close all the supply routes to Afghanistan and expel all the CIA operatives
Funny, i thought they already had after OBL affair !!! What's the problem here? Is it that the world's sixth largest army is not capable of vacating this base within their Sovereign Territory??? We all know that certainly is the case in regards to NW !!!!
Jon Kyl
wake up please and secure your people at afghanistan no fuel No other logistic is killing you
@BruteForce Pakistan barely has foreign reserve to last a few weeks, how is going to take on power which is a many dozens times bigger and stronger than it is? A power which is the sole Super Power of today?
Pakistan has two secret weapons- Bluster and Bravado. These weapons are unlimited and can be used at all times however they rarely help in winning wars, however when they do fight a war they bring out a third secret weapon, which is called Surrender.
First control your sinking economy and taking control policy of Wall Street then talk about the other countries' economical matters.You couldn't do any thing against the Iran and this is the live example of your defeat and cowardice.And you know very well that you can't get success in Afghanistan without Pakistan's help and you have have badly captured your troops in Afghanistan and now trying to withdraw your troops from Afghanistan.
@hopeless paki: being hopeless is what pakistan is paying for.unless you have hope you will never move forward.
Its like this: US needs Pakistan to win a war, or at least to keep the cost down of the war. Pakistan needs US for its very survival.
If Pakistan goes beyond a certain point, what is stopping the US from sanctioning Pakistan? What stops the US from directing WB, IMF and such organization to stop providing Aid to Pakistan? What stops the US from increasing drone attacks to well inside Pakistan?
Pakistan barely has foreign reserve to last a few weeks, how is going to take on power which is a many dozens times bigger and stronger than it is? A power which is the sole Super Power of today?
Yes, we can kill your people and lecture you, as long as you are getting our dollars. Haven't, you heard? Money talks.
@Truth Teller, you can't even put food on the table with $20,000. Perhaps you're unaware of something called a cost of living adjustment? Anyways, with all the money printing by the US government or more specifically the private entity known as the FED (QE1, QE2, QE2.5), those earning $20,000 will be worse than beggars in Pakistan.
@No Spin Facts:
very well said and a true analysis of the economic situation prevailing.
Army needs to show spine. expecting civil govt to do anything is foolish. we are sick of lectures from US senators and congressmen. Please take your dollars and get out of our lives.
As long as we will have corrupt dollar guzzling leaderships, we will always be dependent on foreign aid. What we need is to urgently improve the governance in pakistan. Improve tax collection and apply it to the rich. Currently our mna's and politicians are the richest but pay the least tax and dont report their ACTUAL assets or have transferred it to their children's names.
Only PTI and Imran Khan have any chance of fixing our country. Otherwise the cost of Pakistany lives will be the cost of toys for NATO.
The 45 million people who are below poverty line in US have annual income of 20000 USD for a family of 4.... that means 1800000 rs in pakistani terms... that means by your standard these people are rich with respect to people in pakistan
Senator. AIPAC has emptied your coffers running Israel's foreign policy using your resources. You and your lot (US House of Representatives) have done a great disservice to American interests as well as our standing in the international community. Good luck keeping your blue collar workers employed who produce inferior products at twice the wages. We the international community will no longer back the dollar as the international reserve currency. No more leaching off the rest of the world. Some advice: perhaps you should help the 45 million Americans below the poverty line before attempting to "liberate" (Not) the rest of the world.
Two coments I would like to make is: 1/ USA is a beggard nation and Pak is asking a beggard nation to support it. A beggar asking a beggar.
2/ China is used mostly as if Pak is a sate of China. Is it true?
"....key partner for US military operations in neighboring Pakistan."
Freudian slip of the typist?the kinds of treat indicate they all prepared to respond. come on guys at the end you will be the losser and that for sure, you know it.
Another day, another bizarre episode from the Excited States of America.
The Pakistani response to Senator Kyl should be........."the road from Karachi to Afghanistan is going to be paved with thousand dollar bills or not one drop of oil will get through Senator!!!" perhaps then Senator Kyl would get the picture.
A hard-hitting response is urgently required, simply act the same way they acted and fire them back. And i am sure we are capable of doing this.
Finally, something i agree with josh bolton on. Its sad that we dont use that leverage to blackmail the US for more money under the garb of 'diplomacy' or at least get them to write off our loans, which at around $75 billion are peanuts compared to other countries debt levels.
This comment appeared in a leading Washington newspaper. Something to chew on, especially the second paragraph:
roberto3 11/26/2011 9:54 PM EST It may be true that Pakistani servicemen were killed. However, it is a military that never won a war. True they inflict terrorism on unarmed civilians assaults with in-bred proxies to allow deniability is very well known, and sounds bitterly familiar to anyone who was touched by Mumbai.
But you can't lob bombs across the border, run back, drop your turban and put on a helmet and claim you are a soldier or an ally! Pakistani military has a history of this behavior as the whole world knows.
Most importantly, remember that that same military appears to be attempting another coup on the civilian government and the stupid people there are ready to drink that kool-aid one more time
Do us all and yourself a grand favor;keep the damn money. No more war on fricken terror.Stop terrorizing Pakistan
Kick them out from Shamsi Airbase, close all the supply routes to Afghanistan and expel all the CIA operatives.
If pakistan stoped all corporation with america on war of terror i think in six months of time period Afghanistan will be free country...
No remorse, no regret and another lecture. What an arrogant clown this senator is?
Yes , there is nothing for free!!! The Gravy Train days of no accountability for the funds provided are over !!! No more inflating the bills for services rendered !!!! Don't like it ? Than find another mug to provide Aid !! This is the message !! Is Pakistan ready to play ball???
Take your dollars and just get out of our lives... Let us live you imperialist Nazis