Posted on 09/23/2011 10:28:59 AM PDT by Eyes Unclouded
Pakistan has told the US it risks losing an ally if it continues to accuse the country of playing a double game in the war against al-Qaeda, escalating the crisis in relations between the two countries.
Hina Rabbani Khar, the Pakistani foreign minister, was responding to comments by Admiral Mike Mullen, the US joint chiefs of staff, who said Pakistan military's spy agency, ISI, was closely tied to the Haqqani network, the most violent and effective faction allied with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
It is the most serious allegation levelled by the US against Pakistan since they began an alliance in the "war on terror" a decade ago.
"You will lose an ally," Khar told Geo TV in New York in remarks broadcast on Friday.
"You cannot afford to alienate Pakistan, you cannot afford to alienate the Pakistani people. If you are choosing to do so and if they are choosing to do so it will be at their [the United States'] own cost."
The Haqqani network is a "veritable arm" of Pakistan's military intelligence agency, Mullen said on Thursday in prepared remarks to the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
He said the agency supported the group in its attack last week on the US embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul. "The Haqqani network ... acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency," Mullen said.
General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, also termed Mullen's comments as "very unfortunate and not based on facts".
"This is especially disturbing in view of a rather constructive meeting with Admiral Mullen in Spain," Kayani said in a statement.
"Categorically denying the accusations of proxy war and ISI support to Haqqanis," Kayani wished that "the blame game in public statements should give way to a constructive and meaningful engagement for a stable and peaceful."
Credible intelligence
The Haqqani network, which is distinct from the Afghan Taliban, is a member of the allied factions that are fighting the US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
"With ISI support, Haqqani operatives planned and conducted [a September 11] truck bomb attack, as well as the assault on our embassy," Mullen said.
"We also have credible intelligence that they were behind the June 28 attack against the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul and a host of other smaller but effective operations."
Pakistan has denied the allegations.
Such attacks have been a blow to the US plan to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, which is due to begin this year and end in 2014.
Also speaking at the hearing, Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, said that these sorts of attacks were a sign of "weakness" on the part of fighters in Afghanistan.
"Overall, we judge this change in tactics to be a result of a shift in momentum in our favour and a sign of weakness in the insurgency," Panetta told the committee.
Panetta's remarks
Just two days after the assassination of Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former Afghan president who was playing a role in mediating with the Taliban, Panetta said that as "the Taliban lost control of territory last year they shifted away from large attacks on our forces to greater reliance on headline-grabbing attacks".
Panetta said that the best signal that the US could send was that they would continue to fight the Taliban, and that this would convince them to negotiate a peaceful settlement.
Mullen, who is to step down this month from his post, agreed with Panetta's assessment. He said that while headline-grabbing attacks were "serious and significant in shaping perceptions ... they do not represent a sea change in the odds of military success".
Panetta claimed that security was improving across Afghanistan, particularly in areas where the US has increased troop numbers, though he did not go into specifics.
"While overall violence in Afghanistan is trending down, and down substantially in areas where we concentrated our surge, we must be more effective in stopping these [high-profile] attacks and limiting the ability of insurgents to create perceptions of decreasing security," he said.
He said the US military is "working with our Afghan counterparts to discuss with them how we can provide better protection against these attacks. But the bottom line is that we can't let these sporadic events deter us from the progress that we've made".
'Exporting violence'
The comments on Pakistan's alleged links to the Haqqani group come after a series of tough statements from US officials on the subject, but were the toughest yet from Mullen.
"In choosing to use violent extremism as an instrument of policy, the government of Pakistan - and most especially the Pakistani Army and ISI [intelligence service], jeopardises not only the prospect of our strategic partnership, but also Pakistan's opportunity to be a respected nation with legitimate regional influence," Mullen said.
"By exporting violence, they have eroded their internal security and their position in the region. They have undermined their international credibility and threatened their economic well-being."
Panetta echoed that sentiment, and when questioned by Carl Levin, the chairman of the committee, on what the US could do in addition to applying diplomatic pressure, he declined to share "operational details" on what could be done.
"I don't think [Pakistani leaders] would be surprised by the actions we might or might not take," he said.
Yet Mullen stressed that Pakistan had a crucial role to play in the achievement of US objectives in the region.
"A flawed and difficult relationship [with Pakistan] is better than no relationship at all," he said, adding praise for Pakistani authorities for having targeted al-Qaeda leaders in the country.
Senator John McCain, the ranking member of the committee, said that while Panetta and Mullen may be continuing efforts to achieve US objectives with regards to Pakistan through negotiations, it would be an "uphill battle" to convince the US Congress to continue its current levels of aid and funding to the country.
Pakistan’s entire nuke force need to be taken out ASAP — hopefully right after the next GOP President takes the oath of office in Jan. of ‘13. It’ll send a much-needed message to the Muslim world. No Mohammedan country should be allowed in the nuclear club. Ever. Especially one like Pakistan with probably the most radical populace on earth.
FUPak. You’re a reeeeeeeally great buddy.
My favorite team at this moment is England as we (USA) do not play international level cricket.
I have picked up a lot of interest in this game during the last 20 years of visiting England, Trinidad, Bahamas and India primarily. I am dying to visit Australia, where I hear this game is very popular
Pakistan really is dying out in cricket. They are above Bangladesh when it comes to cricket but nowhere near England, South Africa, Australia and India
It is like Rugby. You have 6-7 nations that play great rugby and the rest just suck lemons.
Pakistan? How would they know if Great Britain, Australia or Israel no longer wanted to be our ally?
The United States without Pakistan as an ally is like a fish without a bicycle...
Well yeah. From my experience the Aussies are just about the best players overall. India is doing well as in South Africa but England probably is a better team than all of them right now. They just beat India
India is an ally. Pakistan is not.
Losing Pakistan would be like losing Iran. Plus we would save about $3 billion a year we give them in bribe er aid money.
ally, ALLY?! ...what is this guy smoking? Pakistan is no ally of the United States; Pakistan is an underhanded Muslim enemy of the USA which harbors, supports and clandestinely aids Islamic terrorists.
We must cut off all military cooperation, funding and spare parts.
OF COURSE that also means we need to pull out of Afghanistan ASAP. Go in with SpecOps when necessary to take out a camp etc. but 140,000 men there is simply and undeniably CRAZY.
Pakistan’s main allegiance is to its religion, and it will continue to be more friendly with Russia and China than with us. Making friends slowly is a wise way to go, and India is a steadier relation for us.
As the Blues song says...
You can’t spend what you ain’t got
You can’t lose something you ain’t never had.
Dear Pakis: STFU. We luv India.
“Pakistan says US risks ‘losing an ally’”
Pakistan has never _been_ an “ally” of the United States, nor of any other nation of The West, for that matter.
Others may disagree, but I’ll state it bluntly:
NO Islamic nation has ever been, is now, or ever will be an “ally” of The West.
No Islamic nation should be regarded as such.
Winston Churchill was dead-right on this one.
Just sayin’….
If we glass your a$$ we have nothing to worry about.
Did they say which ally?
bump.
Except this case is mad and has nuclear weapons.
OK.
Don’t let the door hit ya
where allah split ya.
Not giving them millions in foreign aid will help our economy perhaps.
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