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Kerry: Administration lacks 'real strategy' for handling Pakistan
ABC News ^

Posted on 04/22/2009 11:27:31 AM PDT by Sub-Driver

Kerry: Administration lacks 'real strategy' for handling Pakistan Kerry says no Adequate Plan for Pakistan By DENNIS DILANIAN

April 22, 2009

WASHINGTON  Just back from a visit to Pakistan, Sen. John Kerry says the Obama administration's plan for that volatile country, rolled out last month with great fanfare, "is not a real strategy."

"Pakistan is in a moment of peril," Kerry, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during a session with USA TODAY reporters and editors. "And I believe there is not in place yet an adequate policy or plan to deal with it."

In an interview after the session, Kerry advised the Obama administration to stop using the term "Af-Pak," to describe a unified strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, because "I think it does a disservice to both countries and to the policy. The two governments, he said, are "very sensitive to it" and "don't see the linkage."

Kerry's spokesman, Frederick Jones, said that the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan are scheduled to embark on a rare joint visit to the U.S. for meetings in May, and Kerry plans to host them for lunch May 7.

Richard Holbrooke, President Obama's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, has said the United States must have a unified strategy for both countries, which share a mountainous border region that is a hotbed of Taliban and al-Qaeda activity.

Kerry's comments amounted to one of the sharpest appraisals by a Democrat of one of Obama's signature foreign policies. They marked a change from his initial reaction to Obama's announcement of his plan for the region in a speech March 27, when Kerry issued a statement calling it "realistic and bold."

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afpak; kerry; pakistan; strategy; taliban
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To: Sub-Driver
My, my. Rivalry between Holbrooke and Kerry.

How fun.

21 posted on 04/22/2009 11:56:25 AM PDT by what's up
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To: Sub-Driver

Racist


22 posted on 04/22/2009 11:59:52 AM PDT by Vendome
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To: Sub-Driver
Kerry is mostly right and a little wrong.

The fundamental and most critical issue is ending the heroin trade. Nothing else even comes close. We have to take the eradication program over from the Afghanis, they are too incompetant and corrupt. Karzai needs to be marginalized, period.

Pakistan has broken up into the following fiefdoms: Army, ISI, Punjabi government run by Taseer, Sharif/Chaudry and the lawyers, and the Zardar/Bhutto feudal ruling class of Punjab and Sindh that controls the agriculture and banking.

Eventually the central government will become so weak that Balochistan will openly revolt and the Taliban will attack freely all over Pakistan. I give elected government one year at the most, partition creating a Taliban led Pahktunistan after that.

He is wrong, it is the Afpak theater because of a common enemy and tactical environment.

23 posted on 04/22/2009 12:00:53 PM PDT by gandalftb (An appeaser feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last......)
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To: chris_bdba
Kerry advised the Obama administration to stop using the term "Af-Pak," Another word the dems say are off limits... but vets, pro-life, pro second amendment, christians, can be called Terrorists...
24 posted on 04/22/2009 12:02:05 PM PDT by JoanneSD (illegals represented without taxation.. Americans taxed without representation)
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To: Sub-Driver

What are you doing, Jon Cary? You can’t say that!! You numbskull! Don’t you know who is president??


25 posted on 04/22/2009 12:12:06 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault ( Obama, you're off the island!)
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To: Sub-Driver
They marked a change from his initial reaction to Obama's announcement of his plan for the region in a speech March 27, when Kerry issued a statement calling it "realistic and bold."

Well, it WAS realistic and bold.....before it wasn't.
26 posted on 04/22/2009 12:15:35 PM PDT by mmichaels1970
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To: Sub-Driver
Unlike himself(Kerry). Because Kerry has a plan....

(Stop me if you've heard this before)

Whats really ironic is that if Kerry says you don't know what you're doing, you must be reel stoopid or something.

27 posted on 04/22/2009 12:27:07 PM PDT by libs_kma (F.U.B.O.)
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To: Sub-Driver

He is a Brahman too , and Yes, knows the sting a rice kernel makes.


28 posted on 04/22/2009 12:37:00 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed.)
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To: Sub-Driver

Sen. ReddyForDoody proves that if you never stray from criticizing your country eventually you’ll be right.


29 posted on 04/22/2009 12:37:15 PM PDT by TigersEye (Cloward-Piven Strategy)
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To: Sub-Driver
"Kerry: Administration lacks 'real strategy' for handling Pakistan Kerry says no Adequate Plan for Pakistan" Translation: We're not giving enough money to our diaperhead terrorist "friends."
30 posted on 04/22/2009 12:43:26 PM PDT by Mister Muggles
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To: Sub-Driver

Wow, just how incompetent does a Democrat have to be to be criticized by John Fraud Kerry.


31 posted on 04/22/2009 1:16:45 PM PDT by BuffaloJack (To stand up for Capitalism is to hope Teleprompter Boy fails.)
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To: Sub-Driver

Kerry is siding with the rats in congress who are against dear leader’s “escalation” in Afghanistan.


32 posted on 04/22/2009 2:20:10 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Sub-Driver
"Kerry: Administration lacks 'real strategy' for handling Pakistan"

Something tells me that Barry's Internal Polling numbers are tanking hard.

I think the manufactured pep rally at CIA HQ is very telling...

Now John "F'ing" Kerry takes a swipe (which could foretell a primary challenge in 2012)...

interesting indeed...

33 posted on 04/22/2009 2:25:59 PM PDT by Mad Dawgg (will work for bailout bonus.... Twitter: maddawggmorgan)
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To: ken5050

Maybe, maybe not. But I think more and more Dems are realizing Obama won’t be viable in 2012.


34 posted on 04/22/2009 6:17:00 PM PDT by SlapHappyPappy
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To: Sub-Driver

I think Kerry lacks a real strategy to stop talking.


35 posted on 04/23/2009 6:38:21 PM PDT by boughtwithaprice
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To: Sub-Driver

But John Kerry has a plan...he always has a plan.

(And he served in Vietnam)


36 posted on 04/23/2009 6:38:59 PM PDT by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: Sub-Driver

LOL! I have wondered how soon it would take for the dems watch some snot nose, wet behind the ear Senator with NO experience steal their thunder.


37 posted on 04/23/2009 6:43:35 PM PDT by Protect the Bill of Rights
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To: Lera
0’s fault he led the charge to get Musharraf out Won’t be long before the crazies have the nukes

Reminds you of Carter and the Shah. An episode we've come to regret.

IMHO ideology often has to take a back seat to reality when dealing in foreign affairs.

The Taliban w/ nukes is going to be our most serious problem by far.
And we have a house full of idiots running the country.

38 posted on 04/23/2009 7:27:09 PM PDT by Vinnie (You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Jihads You)
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