Posted on 03/27/2011 10:11:17 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described relations between the United States and Pakistan on Sunday as "very challenging," a tacit admission of strained ties between the key allies.
Speaking after Pakistan boycotted a trilateral meeting on Afghanistan in Brussels in protest at a drone attack that killed 39 people, Mrs Clinton said Islamabad was caught between wanting to help and dealing with its own extremist threat.
"It's a very challenging relationship, because there have been some – some problems," she said in an interview with the ABC program "This Week."
"It's a very difficult relationship, because Pakistan is in a hard position, trying to figure out how it's going to contend with its own internal extremist threat," she said.
"But I think, on the other hand, we've also developed good lines of communication, good opportunities for co-operation, but it's something we have to work on every day."
Mrs Clinton noted the co-operation of the Pakistani government in securing the release of Raymond Davis, a CIA contractor accused in a double murder, as well as in the fight against al-Qaeda and Islamic extremism.
"We were very appreciative of getting our diplomat out of Pakistan, and that took co-operation by the government of Pakistan," she said. "We have co-operated very closely together in going after terrorists who pose a threat to both us and to the Pakistanis themselves."
Washington always insisted that Davis had diplomatic immunity from prosecution. He was released earlier this month after a payment of $2 million, but Mrs Clinton has denied the United States paid any compensation.
Intelligence sources in the northwestern city of Peshawar said 12 Pakistani Taliban militants were among those killed in the March 17 drone strike on a militant hideout in the North Waziristan tribal region.
But the US
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
This Regime is so messed up.
I’d be a little nervous myself after this President said we should take the war from Iraq and bring it to Pakistan.
Didn’t Pak just recently throw in with the Chinese as their new weapons supplier? That ought to tell the world everything they need to know about Pak’s intentions. And yet here’s an article that frames the Pak problem entirely in terms of being caught between wanting to help the US and dealing with their own internal extremist problem. I’m no State Dept. strategist, but it would seem to me that Pak has no interest in truly helping the US; they merely want to stall the US long enough to secure alternate means of support, at which point they will kick the US to the curb.
Of import in that weapons supply issue is a renewed threat to India. India is still trying to finalize their claim to the Jammu and Kashmir regions, against pressure from Pak and China. If Pak becomes a satellite state of China, that border war may heat up quickly.
I see she’s having a little work done by Helen Thomas’s plastic surgeon...
yitbos
Maybe it would help if Obama didn’t pronounce the country like it was Pokemon.
IMHO, I think nations like pakistan are erring in leaning towards Chinese superpower dominance. I think a) if it were to happen, it would be a far worse outcome for them than they the presently think, b) it is not a foregone conclusion at this point and c) if there is a U.S. economic resurgence it will likely be dramatic and most most other nations would have difficult challenges in reacting to that resurgence. I would think it far more prudent for other nations to hedge their bets very carefully at this point, as American politics and free enterprise are uniquely endowed with a propensity for and accomodation of rapid economic and political change.
Somebody please tell Hillary, “take another pill and call me in the morning”.
There’s never been a point in the last 50 years that Pakistan has ceased being a Chinese satellite. The media and ‘analysts’ have been comatose for half-a-century.
Warm up the missiles?
Damn woman looks like death warmed over.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.