Hillary Clinton rules out US boots on ground in North Waziristan
Saturday, October 22nd, 2011 11:50:08 by Ammar Ahmad
Hillary Clinton rules out US boots on ground in North Waziristan
The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who was in Pakistan on a two-day visit, ruled out the possibility of sending in US military inside Pakistan’s area of North Waziristan to take out the Haqqani Network, a pro-Taliban militant group accused by Washington of carrying out attacks on American assets inside Afghanistan.
Washington believes that the group is based on Pakistan’s side of the border and needs to be tackled to end a decade long conflict in Afghanistan.
Citing Pakistan as a critical ally in America’s drive to end the conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan, the US has been mounting pressure on the Afghan neighbour to take action against the Haqqanis since US special forces found and killed Osama bin Laden in May, 2011 in a Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad, where he apparently had been living for years.
The secret bin Laden raid was the biggest blow to US-Pakistan relations since Islamabad joined the US “war on terror” after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Meanwhile, speaking on the relations between Pakistan and the US, the Afghan President Hamid Karzai insisted that the deteriorating relations would not have any affect on Pak-Afghan relationship and pledged to support Pakistan in case the two countries go to war.
“God forbid, if ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan, if Pakistan is attacked and if the people of Pakistan need Afghanistan’s help, Afghanistan will be there with you,” said the Afghan President.
Afghans have long been suspicious of Pakistan’s intentions in their country and question its promise to help bring peace. Karzai repeated that concern in his remarks.
Following the death of Rabbani, Karzai said he would cease attempting to reach out to the Afghan Taliban and instead negotiate directly with Pakistan, saying its military and intelligence services could influence the militants to make peace.
“Let’s engage from a different platform, a platform in which the two brothers only progress towards a better future in peace and harmony,” insisted Karzai.
Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=1237
Posted by Ammar Ahmad
on Oct 22 2011. Filed under Pakistan, USA.
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