“In fact, I think his work on behalf of the effort to take down bin Laden was in Pakistan’s interest, as well as the US’s interest. We have made that view very well known. We will continue to press it,” she said.
Clinton made these remarks in response to a query by Representative Dana Rohrabacher, the Republican lawmaker who submitted the bill in the House of Representatives to grant Dr Afridi US citizenship, in addition to awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal.
Rohrabacher had asked Clinton if she could testify before the house that Pakistan is cooperating on the issue, while Afridi was still languishing in a prison.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2012.
COMMENTS (43)
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We, Pashtun, salute you Dr. Afridi but cannot raise our voice in your support bcoz we are slaves.
@ Brutus
Is it lawful as per Pakistani law? If it is not, the perpetrators should be dealt with as per law. I am still waiting for an example where any country of the world let go of the spy working for another country (or contrary, made him a hero, as you want). I dont want your excuses, I want facts, do you have any???
Ms.Clinton you are well aware that Afridi is a Pakistani national & our captive for having committed treason in collaboration with CIA .Now we fully understand what CIA have been & still are doing to damage Pakistan by offering Dollars to buy local operatives.We will not accept dictation anymore.
This Dr Afridi used a legitimate health cause like vaccination to spy for money. This is the worse of act of a so called medical professional and this alone should be enough to send him to jail.
@Ghaznavi: This is not spying. Like Interpol, all police forces act and cooperate to catch international criminals. However ISI is so suspect in eyes of world, that they cant trust them. Hence the need to go it alone.
Dr. Afridi can be a traitor for Pakistani generals, but he is a hero of humanity. Well done doc, you helped remove terrorist no 1, who made miserable the lives of billions around the world.
@Brutus Give me an example of US, what have they done with their own citizens caught spying for other agencies. Anybody who breaks Pakistani law should be dealt with accordingly
joint drama by Pak & US
Oh Really... and what about Dr. Aafia. Do you have basis to hold her?
The job of spies is to uncover terrorists who threaten the world. if they done that, they are heroes. Pakistans soverignity is not important as capturing Osama was. Instaed of being proud of Afridi, pakistanis are persecuting the one man who has brought glory and gratitude of the world for pakistan. How dumb can that be!!
On same basis Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai is being held up in USA on having connection with ISI what a blame game?????????????///
Absolutely agree with Lt Col Imtiaz Alam (retd). Aafia was on FBI most wanted list in 2004-05. Yet when she is apprehended a ludicrous charge of "attempting to kill US agents" was framed on her and was given 86 years imprisonment, while she is the one who actually gets shot! What happened to all those charges, Al-Qaeda supporter, financier, terrorist etc? No such charge is brought on her. And you give someone 86 years for attempting to kill? We let Mr Raymond Davis go who not only killed in broad daylight but had the tenacity to actually film his 'kill'. What Justice??
The point is espionage for monetary terms for USA spy agency CIA. Being a citizen of Pakistan which constitution allows him to help out CIA in his individual capacity. Does constitutuion of USA or other western countries allows this??
Afridi's enemies please comment: 1. Wether Afridi disclosed Osama's location? 2. If he did pass the correct info, then it imples Osama was there under the cover or negligence of agencies? 3. If he did pass wrong info, then it implies that he made fool of CIA?
v the most Hypocrites between devil and deep sea.
@BruteFarce: Dr. A is a world hero, for locating the most dangerous criminal on earth. Why do you consider him a traitor?? Pakistanis always seem to be on the other side of world opinion.How dumb can that be??
@Altaf Hussain, Mumbai: Visiting Tourist sites.
@Altaf Hussain, Mumbai: and was you with her in Afghanistan? the CIA agents in Pakistan arrested her inside the country. However, if she was in Afghanistan or not, but what was the charges on her. 86 years doesn't make sense.
The issue should be treated as a legal issue and not an emotional one. Ms. Clinton is clearly wrong to mention that there is no basis for holding the doctor in custody. It can be safely assumed that the Doctor was not tracking down OBL on voluntarily basis. Working for a foreign intelligence agency (CIA) inside the territorial jurisdiction of another country, on volunteer basis or for money, will have serious legal implications.
However, Pakistani authorities need to process the case via formal legal system with due process guarantees for the doctor and his other colleagues rather than holding them incommunicado by national intelligence agencies.
Any action against sovereignty of state is criminal act and deserves punishment. In this case, the guy and his accomplices should get maximum punishment for their act of treason!!!!
@Lt Col Imitaz Alam - What sort of a soldier were you? -Afia was a terrorist that wanted to kill and murder. Individuals like you shame the memory of our army jawaans murdered by the taliban
@Lt Col Imtiaz Alam (retd): What was she doing in Afghanistan?
Dr. Afridi worked for CIA undercover, he needs to be tried as per the Pakistani law. US has no right to intrude in Pakistan's internal affairs. US has itself executed, and jailed spies working for international agencies. We will do the same.
The US has no moral grounds to hold Dr.Afia. How about a trade. We missed the chance when we had that Double Murderer Raymond Davis. Unfortunately this Govt is an extension of the US Govt.
I thought Gen Kayani said we did not know OBL lived in Abbotabad. Yet the Dr, who unknowingly, helped OBL's capture is termed a traitor. In other words, the good Gen was supporting OBL's stay in Kakul.
Pakistani Govt. and its military had been constantly denying complicity in the OBL case. How does that position fit with charges of treason brought against a man who helped locate the despot? A despot who has blood on his hands of not only 3000 innocent americans but also of scores of muslims the world over? The whole saga stinks. It kills any Pakistani claim of non-complicity.
@asif: After May 2, nothing in US relations is an internal matter to PAK. No US administration can walk away from PAK without getting a clear answer and without getting the perpetrators. If PAK does not understand this, then she is too naive.
@mir agha: What are you talking about? The lives were never in danger. Just because there was another motive doesn't mean the syringe was filled with rat poison.
Pakistan is a Country where people who help hunt down(Unknowingly, of course) are in jail and face death, while people who are heads of Terrorist Organizations, blacklisted by the UN and Interpol, are roaming the Pakistani streets and holding large conferences and issuing anti-Free-World statements.
I'm also quite certain nobody is going to have a problem with any form of backlash. Do whatever you have to.
Just get him here. I doubt tax payers will have a problem paying even his living expenses afterwards.
What basis the US has to court martial Bradley Manning? What he did was in international interest as much as in US interest.
If Shakil Afridi is not tried and punished as a foreign spy, it will encourage alien governments to hire more spies and plant them in sensitive institutions. .
It will be nice if along with Dr Shakil Pakistan were to hand over about, shall we say, 100 million Pakistanis like Dr Shakil to Clinton to take care of and provide better life in USA.
ISI needs to get all the details of other Dr shakeels operating in terrorist activites in pakistan just like Raymond Davis etc and neutralise them all before prosecuting this "son of the soil brave patriot"
Bas kardo Bas ... Bas kardo Bas..... If Pakistan wants to come out of this blame game which pak loses every time. They have to come up with some new idea to deal these games....
I don't know when Hilary Clinton will understand Pakistani establishment. She is either so THICK or too INNOCENT. She didn't need to say this what she needed was few millions dollars and she could buy Dr Afridi's freedom, in fact whole Pakistan.
P.S. I'm confused on her statement. Isn't it Pakistan's internal matter??
Instead of conferring him with a highest civil award, he is being arrested for helping locating the most wanted terrorist in the world. By the way who is a supporter of terrorism and why are we so much displeased with this Doctor!!!
Anybody who worked to get to OBL is treated as traitor in Pakistan. And yet we continue to claim that we do not provide safe havens to terrorists. What a sad and sameful situation!
honestly, they just put his life in danger even more when pandering to their (domestic) imperial delusions. the issue with afridi is not his "cooperation" for the cia, the issue is his techniques of giving fake polio vaccines to kids. it has put the life and future of many in jeopardy.
Why not??? is he an American National?? or u r tryng to justify CIA espionage operations in other countries ???
The candid remarks of sec. Clinton on the matter is surprising and hopefully some one in PAK is listening.
"if Pakistan doesn’t free Dr Afridi, it will be their (Pakistan’s) decision based on non-cooperation."
traitor
What did she say about releasing Bradley Manning?