Clinton hopes for Pakistan cooperation despite Bonn boycott
"Nothing will be gained by turning our backs on mutually beneficial cooperation. Frankly it is regrettable that Pakistan has decided not to attend the conference in Bonn," Clinton told a news conference in South Korea.
Pakistan pulled out of the conference on the future of Afghanistan on Tuesday in reaction to a cross-border attack by NATO that killed 24 of its soldiers and plunged US-Pakistani relations deeper into crisis.
"I would express regret and hope that perhaps there can be a follow-up way that we can have the benefit of Pakistani participation in this international effort to try to work a stable, secure peaceful outcome in Afghanistan."
Clinton stressed that US officials were making every effort to investigate what she called a "tragic incident". "What is most important I think is that we learn lessons from this tragedy because we have to continue to work together."
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@Hedgefunder: "as you basically lack everything in life". What makes you think I am lacking everything in life? You are just as dumb as your comments!!!
@MAJ Taylor: As an Indian my views are that your comments are quite apt and logical. However, I am afraid nobody in Pakistan is going to buy them since people were already very angry with the Americans but this recent incident added fuel to the fire which may not be easy to douse.
This “tragic incident” has once again cast a shadow of doubt over our alliance, while threatening our ability to continue to work together to defeat terrorism. The questions regarding our partnership are being raised, and the impact of this incident can be seen in the way current events are taking shape. And that certainly has not stopped the terrorists from continuing their mission of orchestrating suicide attacks throughout Pakistan. As the past is a witness to our resilience against terrorism, we hope that the vital US-Pakistan relationship, though severely strained, will again recover and the importance of achieving our common interests in the region will again prevail. In the meantime, our deepest condolences go to the families and friends of the security forces killed. The loss cannot be mourned and regretted enough.
@Hedgefunder: I don't expect you to understand or know anything other than what your confused Indian text books teach you. Not only were many Pakistanis front line fighters, they bore the brunt of the most serious engagements against the Soviets. I am not talking about Pakistani Pashtun but Pakistanis from other provinces were volunteering and fighting to defeat the Soviets while a lot of Afghanis were busy smuggling themselves into Western nations to ask for asylum / refugee status. Don't worry about the Bonn Conference, nothing concrete will come of any discussions without Pakistan. When the time is right, Pakistan can resume discussions but now is the time to seal the border with Afghanistan and send all the refugees back home.
"Mutually benifical cooperation"??? sounds ridicoulous. Where is mutual benefict in all this US-orientated, US-benifited saga? Its nothing about give and take. The price we are paying is nothing they can ever return... the precious lives we lost, the inumerable number that they made homeless and helpless, the mental peace, religous and economic destruction of this nation....the list is endless,
@Hedgefunder: Why are you scared of useing your own user name that you actually have to hijack others like mine and Mirza too?? One thing i know that you certainly do not have much to say as you basically lack everything in life !!! Get real !! It helps !!
@R S JOHAR: The Pakistani deligation though not going to Bonn, is being persuaded by the Americans to participate in the discussions through video conferencing. A likely scenario which might happen but kept as a secret.
Funny thing is that you may be right!!! Pakistanis really can not afford to ignore or stay out of this process and yet have to please their local population by showing strength for political and nationalism reasons !!!!! But the smart money is on that they don't attend or interfere and there will be very positive outcome to the meeting, as they really have been hindrance rather than helped with their proxy Assets, who are determined to destablise Afghanistan at any cost !!
East or West, Pakistan is the best!!! Pakistan will overcome these problems and I will rejoice when that happens!!! All the best to my Pakistani brothers!!!
@ Raj-USA: Well India too we know is very well versed with annexing property that does not belong to it. So property disputes are not just between twin brothers :P I am certain India would have had a border dispute with Afghanistan too had there been a common border.
@Amjad: Pakistanis did not fight the Soviets !! It was Afghans and it was all paid for by the US, and Pakistan made lot of money out of this too !!!! Which in fact they they did not even have to account for it, hence the radicalisation and mushrooming of madrarssas and introduction of wahibism in Pakistani society !!! It was all doing of your military rulers at the time !!!
This is enough to understand the American policies against Pakistan behind NATO action. So, Pakistan Government must stand on their decision not to attend Bonn conference.
Sorry Clinton, too late!
This is enough to understand the policy of America behind NATO action. Why Pakistan army did not retaliate and gun down the helicopters. American policy is totally against of our interest, so we must stand on our decision not to attend Bonn conference.
@Johny: However, United States is the largest trading partner of every muslim country, including Pakistan. USA is also the largest donor of every muslim country that needs aid, including Pakistan.
Vienna,November 30,2011 I am not the one to judge developing issues & events. I would say use head to find answer,solutions.Heart can love or hate.It can not be be used at will for finding solutions or articulate the message developed by head.Faith is reserved and better left isolated within the doman of heart.It should not interfere with the functioning of cool head.Pakistan needs cool head here and NOW. "Vipadi dhairyam" meaning in dangers courage and (cool head) is meant.Do not discard cool head.Pakistani leaders need to know this if they are to serve their people. I am not saying the rest of the world are not unconcerned with the welfare of Pakistani people,women and children.But the troika leadership needs courage and cool head. Taravadu Taranga Trust for Media Monitoring TTTMM India --Kulamarva Balakrishna
In the name of "PEACE" - United States of America has crossed all limits of freedom of living from every Muslim countries.. they have problems with every Muslim country.We have lost 27 plus soldiers MISS CLINTON.Can you afford even a death of single American soldier?
All those clamoring for an apology for 24 people getting killed should ask themselves - Has Pakistan ever apologized to Bangladesh for massacring a million people?
US perhaps will not apologize and even if it did, it won't be an honest apology coming out of regret. The sad state of affairs could be avoided if Pakistan really exercised control over its territory.
So, here is hoping that Pakistan finally shows some gumption and sticks to its stand of not supporting American war effort and face whatever comes as a consequence. That'd truly be what a sovereign country would do.
Chachi Clinton hopes that Pakistan shall continue to cooperate with USA despite Bonn Boycott so the Americans don't have any problem killing Pakistani civilians and Military Personnel.
Did I summarize it correctly Chachi Jee?
Boycotting the Bonn conferance will only confirm to the rest of the Global Community that everything they have heard ot suspected of Pakistan's duplicity and its actions in the War on Terror is True !!! Please do it so the world wakes up to the fact, and do not give you anymore benefit of doubt !! Very cheeky & arrogant of a nation that has been caught time and again playing their duplicity and denials role !!! No more !!
@Khan: Its time we seal & fence the border
Million dollar question, can you even afford to fence the border???? I dread to answer that question !!!! But i welcome you to answer it, as it was your suggestion !!
@Afghan: You could not have put it better !! I only wish that the majority of the people in Afghanistan realise this and move forward rather than move towards the philosophy of playing victims, blame games, conspriracy theories , etc.... Put your ethnic and tribal issue aside and you really have a nation with wealth of resources, which will build this Nation within a decade as a major nation in the region !!!
Pakistan hopes for Clinton (USA) cooperation and continuous aid money despite any future unfortunate death ( if any) by a Pakistani friendly fire. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PAKISTAN has shown responsible response to unprovoked aggression to its army men posted to help prevent Taliban attacking people on both sides of the border.. The hitech army choppers and jets have built in system that when they want to fire on a FRIENDLY POST ( in this case all coordinates were already given to NATO of all the Pakistan posts) UNLESS YOU OVERRIDE THEM to INTENTIONALLY fire upon them. Pakistan should give all the blessings to the participants of the Bonne Conference about Afghanistan, as it needs to be Afghanistan led process. Pakistan should use ALL THE NON AGGRESSIVE ways and methods to show protest on this matter, as this is the WORLD of DIPLOMACY with lots and lots of INJUSTICE and INEQUALITY. *PAKISTAN should propose/demand UN army to monitor the PAKAFGHAN border , so that world can see themselves the TRUTH.*
@ayesha: Boycotting this conference is an amateurish decision .. and shows our establishments weakness ... If you want to honor all those soldiers and civilians killed in this WoT .. seal the border and get rid of all right wing politicians and sympathizers. That is the only way forward. Its not that Afghanistan's future is only in our hands ...Yes we CAN play a positive part in it for our own future. We must cooperate with international community sincerely otherwise their stakes are not as high as ours, and they might well just install a mock government while leaving another civil war in our backyard that can be blamed on us and our country will never be stabilized because of that.
@maestro: Yes ! All your points are very valid on hindsight, however your rulers created the mess too, within your society, by introducing Madrassas, fighting proxy wars, destroying secular society,etc... while collecting Aid/Cash without considering the long term implications of these acts on the people of the Nation !!!! So now you have your Nation listed on the lists of Failed State, Climate risk and declining on developing ranking too !!! Time people of Pakistan take stock of the situation .
@Afghan:
I am Pakhton and can assure you that we don't have any such irritation at all .. There might be some tribal people who lives by the border and do not respect this border but they first call themselves Pakistanis and then also consider other side of the border as theirs .. So better be aware of this fact or you might get to lose what you have ...after all currently Pak Mil has a big chunk if Pakhtoons in Army and many of them are deployed & defending the same Durand Line. I don't know who told you that we even consider Duran Line an issue let alone a massive one? Please stop living in your own lala land ... Can't handle your civil wars from decades and you are talking about Duran Line ... Its time we seal & fence the border .. Our good for nothing governments can't do any thing ... they just make plans and never carry out implementation ... its a big sign of incompetency and unprofessionalism ... These lots should never be elected.
@ Maestro: Dont be so bitter my friend. I think you would agree that we helped and hosted the afghans against the soviets due to a number of reasons one of which was that we have strong religous and cultural bonds with them. The best solution perhaps for us is that afghanistan becomes stabilized, becomes friendly toward us and develops rapidly. We can then have an open border with them on the lines of schengen states so that this issue of durand line is remvoed forever. Afghan and Pakistani people have been through a lot together and both countries deserve all peace and prosperity that they can get. As for the refugees who were born in Pakistan and have never been to their homeland...i think they should be nautralized. no?
"Nothing will be gained by turning our backs on mutually beneficial cooperation." And what was to be gained by attacking Pak forces?
@Afghan: Never played a positive role?? Who helped you get rid of the Soviets?? And yes we took in over 5 million refugees, 3 million of whom are still here causing problems. Half the suicide bombers here turn out to be afghans. Exactly right - Pakistan should have nothing to do with your problems - deal with them yourselves - your civil war and opium trade will start again after the americans leave. Then dont come running to us for help again. And please take back the refugees - they are not wanted here. Durand line irritates the pashtuns?? Lols - our Pashtuns are loyal Pakistanis - it doesnt irritate them at all. I am half pashtun! You cant handle your own country and want more from the Durand line eh? What a joke - lollsss
'Nothing will be gained by turning our backs on mutually beneficial cooperation: Clinton'. So what can we gain by killing each other?
* Hillary's facial expressions "I'm gonna make'em pay for pulling out" *
With friends like these....
@Haider Hussain: we are a decent nation
neither sshould we make such comments nor should we approve of them
Clinton stressed that US officials were making every effort to investigate what she called a “tragic incident”. “What is most important I think is that we learn lessons from this tragedy It seems that America, NATO & ISAF have not learned any lessons so far. Just giving statements is not enough Mrs.Clinton!!!
@ashok sai: They way thinks are going, we may expect a conference on ‘Pakistan Future’ at Istanbul in 2012 !
Well let's consider the list of invitees, USA, China, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka along with special guest India !!! As all of the above have vested interest in future welfare of Pakistan !!!!
Pakistan should attend the conference. It offers Islamabad the opportunity to show that the world has to take Pakistan seriously as a player of world-class and that it can sort problems out in a sophisticated manner.
@ Afghan: They should have atleast some say because 20% of afghans still live in Pakistan and they are welcome. I think they should be made citizens of Pakistan as they contribute to the economy and lots of them were born here. However given that you are still talking about durand line as a dispute is exactly the reason why Pakistani establishment feels the needs to cultivate friendly governments and militias in Afghanistan. There is an easier way for us and that is to accept durand line as the defacto border. Its not as if there is a restriction of movement for pashtun tribes straddling both sides of the border.
The US has taken the boycott quiet cool. Pakistan's thundering boycott has been a mouse's feeble whisper into the ear of an elephant.
Is it not democracy :) that NATO, US, Pakistan, Karzai etc...etc... are going to decide the future of People of Afghanistan in Bonn,Germany
The US are cynical, they act cinically and lie. They are the only ones theowing a bomb in the name of peace.
God bless you all
Clinton should regrett that the Pakistani Soldiers are killed deliberately.
Can you imagine the uproar if we the Pakistanis would have killled 25 of their white skinned soldiers in an unprovoked aggression. The sky would have fallen. They would have shaken the whole civilization. Well of course it would be deemed as an attack against the 'civilized world' by 'savages'. They would have attacked us with full might. Is our blood cheap? Can't we even protest? NO Mrs Clinton. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
tell Aunti to please cool it.
Actually, Afghans would be happy to not have to do anything with Pakistan because frankly we're not sure why Pakistan has any right to have a say in what happens in Afghanistan. At least other countries try to play a positive role. Pakistan has never played a positive role in Afghanistan and continues to ignore the massive issue of the Durand Line which irritates Pashtuns to no end. Yes, we are grateful that Pakistan kindly hosts so many Afghan refugees.
Why can we not live without being a friend or foe of US. Let us be like any other normal country.
It is not necessary that Pakistan should ct according to the desire and wishes of the USA. It can be a wishful thing of Hillary Clinton but the priority for Pakistan is its integrity and sovereignty.
It is the right way that Pakistan is working against the wishes of the US and that should be the way.
Pakistan is not going to take any more dictation either from US or from any other country, no matter what happens.
USA should also learn how to respect the sentiments of Pakistani nation.
The decision of Defence Committee is the decision of Pakistani Nation and we are not going to change it in any case.
Dont worry we have our troops lined up at border checkposts for your NATO helicopters to target practice. A few token civilian lives will also be sacrificed for the honourable cause of drone strikes. Cooperation continues!
us will persuade pak to attnend bonn confernce.
I don't this it was repeated more than once on BBC before they got wise to it ,but Hina R. Khar categorically stated in an interview that The Americans over-estimate the impact of their Aid to Pakistan. They can stop it and it will not effect us
Crap... Pakistan should stick to the stance...
Ms.Clinton is fully aware that they (Americans) have always turned their backs on Pakistan & dropped us like a hot brick as they did after Afghan/Soviet war.What they are doing to us was anticipated .We do not want to break our relations with the US,but things cannot work out the same way,because the US has always turned out to be untrustworthy "friend."
See how difficult it gets to say "SORRY" when you are a high level diplomat, army officer, or a politician?
The Pakistani deligation though not going to Bonn, is being persuaded by the Americans to participate in the discussions through video conferencing. A likely scenario which might happen but kept as a secret.
They way thinks are going, we may expect a conference on 'Pakistan Future' at Istanbul in 2012 !
plzz listen to your mother in law
Why Not (Clinton hopes for Pakistan cooperation despite Bonn boycott) after all how many days anger of common people will survive....one fine day everything will be reconciled and then Business as usual.
Hillary! You can take your regrets and suggestions up yours.
Stop talking about peace Clinton. The whole world has seen your country's hypocrisy!
Yea Ms. Clinton, Pakistan should have continued in its Business-as-Usual Role. It should not have gone too far to boycott Bonn Conference to register its protest as already its PM & President have issued statements in media. After all what’s the big loss………. Only addition of 24 casualties to 40,000 victims of this war on terror….. Why so much fuss???? Yea, Pakistan must learn lessons from this tragedy that extending co-operation in the end game is beneficial, any dilly-dallying in that co-operation may result in tragedies like on Volcano Post? To register displeasure & disliking of Pakistan's expected role in End Game Negotiations, US has taken this route of slaughtering 24 soldiers, if Pakistan continues to on the path of non-cooperation, spate of further similar incidents should be on the way with intensity level accelerated each time.............Right Ms Clinton?????,
Keep hoping. How much more innocent blood are we going to lose? It's one thing being killed by our enemy terrorists, it's another thing losing so many men to supposed accidental friendly fire.
I think we should not attend the Bonn conference. Let Afghanistan sort its own problems out, their leader Karzai and their government is maligning and slandering pakistany's all the time anyway.