Clinton Delivers Rebuke to Pakistan

Daredevil

On Vacation!
Super Mod
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
11,615
Likes
5,772
Clinton Delivers Rebuke to Pakistan

By DAVID STOUT
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sharply rebuked the government of Pakistan on Wednesday, accusing the country’s leaders of surrendering large tracts of territory to the Taliban and saying that the country’s instability is a “mortal threat” to world peace.

“I think that the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists,” Mrs. Clinton told the House Foreign Affairs Committee as she responded to questions on an array of topics.

The secretary’s words were striking, aimed as they were at a nation that Washington has described as a key ally in the international campaign against terrorism. Her remarks may have been aimed not just at Pakistan’s rulers but at American lawmakers reluctant to provide more money for a region that has been a trouble spot.

The Obama administration is seeking nearly $76 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as to bolster security in Pakistan. The porous border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been a spawning ground for Al Qaeda terrorists.

Mrs. Clinton spoke during an exchange with panel members about a recent agreement by the Pakistani president, Asif Ali Zardari, under prodding from religious conservatives within his country, to allow the imposition of harsh Islamic law in the Swat Valley. That development that was seen by outside analysts as an admission that Islamabad was losing its grasp of some of its territory.

Moreover, Mrs. Clinton said, the deterioration of security in nuclear-armed Pakistan “poses a mortal threat to the security and safety of our country and the world.”

After accusing the Pakistani government of caving in to the Taliban, Mrs. Clinton went on in more scathing detail. “If you talk to people in Pakistan, especially in the ungoverned territories, which are increasing in number, they don’t believe the state has a judiciary system that works,” she said.

“It’s corrupt, it doesn’t extend its power into the countryside. So the government of Pakistan, however it is constituted, which is of course their business, not ours, must begin to deliver government services.”

Otherwise Ms. Clinton warned, “they are going to lose out to those who show up and claim that they can solve people’s problems, and then they will impose this harsh form of oppression on women and others.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/us/politics/23clinton.html?_r=1
 

Daredevil

On Vacation!
Super Mod
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
11,615
Likes
5,772
Clinton: Pakistan abdicates to Taliban, extremists

Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:41pm BST

WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - The Pakistani government is "basically abdicating to the Taliban" in agreeing to the imposition of Islamic law in part of the nuclear-armed country, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.

"I think that the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists," Clinton told lawmakers when asked about the introduction of Islamic law in Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley under a deal to end Taliban violence.

Clinton: Pakistan abdicates to Taliban, extremists | Reuters
 

EnlightenedMonk

Member of The Month JULY 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
3,831
Likes
28
Right said...

But, the more important question is what America plans to do about it ??? Shower him with more money and weapons ??? Or finally crack the whip ???
 

Soham

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
1,972
Likes
91
Country flag
Option 1 still gives some chance of survivability of Pakistan, while Option 2 gives a guaranteed fall.
So they will go ahead with the first option I guess, unless US/NATO plan an invasion from the West which I doubt they will.
This WOT has stretched beyond limits of control.
 

EnlightenedMonk

Member of The Month JULY 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
3,831
Likes
28
But Soham, the first option will definitely not work since it assumes that Pakistan wants to survive and resist the Taliban... The Pakistan Army which is instrumental in that was the one that retreated from SWAT and the rest of the North Western areas...

So, even if the survivability option is exercised by the West, I believe the Pakistan Army has lost the will to fight and hence the will to survive...
 

Known_Unknown

Devil's Advocate
Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
Messages
2,626
Likes
1,670
They can't crack whips because they don't have any. Fighting Pakistan is impossible, and throwing money at them doesn't work. So the only option that remains is to force them to go at the Taliban by threats. For a country in Pakistan's (economic and political) position, it doesn't take much to "persuade" them that fighting the Taliban is their best course of action. Failing to do that could mean sanctions, trade embargoes, or even a mention on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list of the US State Dept.

These measures however are a double edged sword. If Pakistan responds positively, they work. If not, they could contribute to a fragile Pakistan imploding under internal and external economic and security pressures, nukes falling into the hands of terrorists, and every other doomsday scenario one can think of.
 

Soham

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
1,972
Likes
91
Country flag
But Soham, the first option will definitely not work since it assumes that Pakistan wants to survive and resist the Taliban... The Pakistan Army which is instrumental in that was the one that retreated from SWAT and the rest of the North Western areas...

So, even if the survivability option is exercised by the West, I believe the Pakistan Army has lost the will to fight and hence the will to survive...
They did resist the Taliban under Musharraf.
The Pakistani Army will come out in the open and fight. The question is, which side will they fight on?
A war is inevitable, unless some miracle takes place.

And it would be the Pakistani Army which will eventually toss the coin.
 

EnlightenedMonk

Member of The Month JULY 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
3,831
Likes
28
Unfortunately, I'm not so hopeful Soham... they won't fight... and if they do, it'll be some elements (radicalised) which will join the side of the Taliban...
 

Soham

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
1,972
Likes
91
Country flag
Unfortunately, I'm not so hopeful Soham... they won't fight... and if they do, it'll be some elements (radicalised) which will join the side of the Taliban...
Don't assume Pakistani Army to sit at home with pop-corn and coke and watch the show.
They will fight. Elements of it will fight for Pakistan and others will fight for Taliban.

"Known-Unknown" has summarized the position quite well in his prev. post.
I don't see the civilian govt. lasting very long. People are fed up of Zardari and his antics. If a military dictator comes into power, Pakistan can be saved. I don't see the civilian govt. getting the balls to openly challenge the Taliban anytime soon.

All the resources spent by Bush, all the lives sacrificed by valiant soldiers, all the funds gifted to Pakistan hang in balance at this point. They wouldn't have ever imagined that the Taliban will establish a stronghold in Pakistan and all the efforts will go down the drain.
The only hope is co-operation of PA, or an invasion from the west.
And I don't see the second option happening anytime soon.
 

EnlightenedMonk

Member of The Month JULY 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
3,831
Likes
28
Soham, the radicalization of Pakistan which started during the time of Haq has completed now... everybody from the Lt General levels to the normal Havaldar / Sepoy have been radicalised... who do you think they will fight ??? They will certainly fight us !!! Definitely not the Taliban !!!

They have great ideas of "Islamic Superpower", "Islamic Bomb" etc in their mind and it isn't going to go away overnight... they think that any intervention by any other country is a problem to their Sovereignty and they won't have any of it... Additionally, they don't realise that their Army has all but given up the fight and they are under the impression that the Army will make gains and push back the Taliban...

Now, what you are saying is valid about the general public... Some are radicalised and some are not, but they don't have much of a say in this anyway... even the un-radicalised people are not going to pick up weapons and fight against the radicals... they will either run from the country or shut up and live in that country...
 

EnlightenedMonk

Member of The Month JULY 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
3,831
Likes
28
Link doesn't work yaar... maybe they deleted it... any other link such as YouTube where I can find the same video ???
 

EnlightenedMonk

Member of The Month JULY 2009
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
3,831
Likes
28
Works now... Thanks Vijay...

Damn it... guys... don't watch it... they're beheading people !!!

Posts Merged

-WebMaster
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top