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WASHINGTON: US special envoy Richard Holbrooke has told a briefing in Washington that he sees positive developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the point that his chief concern in Pakistan is not extremism.
Last week, Mr Holbrooke wrapped up his second trip to South Asia this year, and his first visit to Central Asia since President Barack Obama appointed him to his post.
On Tuesday, he briefed the media at the State Department about his visit, saying: I think that in Pakistan and in Afghanistan, but particularly in Pakistan, there has been a movement, a shift in sentiment here. In Pakistan right now, my greatest concern is to help the Pakistanis with their economic and energy problems.
Assessing Pakistans recent efforts to combat terrorism, he said: I think theyre on the right track in this other area.
Washington felt the need to now focus on Pakistans economic and energy issues, said Mr Holbrooke, adding that the Obama administration had set up a water resources task force at the State Department to help Pakistan deal with a looming water crisis.
The US envoy, who also visited Dushanbe during this trip, said that Tajikistans vast water resources could ease water shortages in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The US, he added, was now focussing more and more of our attention to helping Pakistan overcome its economic problems and was trying to increase its financial support to Islamabad.
Mr Holbrooke confirmed that last week the US paid Pakistan $349 million in Coalition Support Fund, part of some $2 billion Islamabad is trying to get reimbursed. But he did not say if considerable efforts on the US side to free up that money have played a role in greater Pakistani US security cooperation of late.
No hidden agenda: The US envoy said he believed theres no hidden agenda behind recent arrests of some top Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan and also welcomed Pakistans success in wresting control of a strategic militant redoubt in Bajaur.
His remarks are in line with recent statements by other US officials praising what they describe as Pakistans renewed commitment to the fight against terrorism.
But his observations are more pertinent because they reflect on the consultations Mr Holbrooke held during his long trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
I see no evidence to support that theory. But its out there, said Mr Holbrooke when asked to comment on recent US media reports that Pakistan had arrested some Taliban leaders last month to derail the Afghan peace process.
Conspiracy theories are stock-in-trade in not just in this part of the world. But I dont see any evidence for it, he added.
And I know somewhat more than I am at liberty to disclose about the circumstances under which these events took place, and every detail tends to work against that thesis.
Mr Holbrooke noted that Islamabad had continued its operations against the militants in the face of some pressing economic, water and energy problems.
This is a very important sequence of events, and we hope it will continue. I dont want to draw any strategic conclusions from it. I just want to express my appreciation to the Pakistani government and its army for what its doing, he said referring to a series of actions against the Taliban militants.
The Pakistanis are doing these things in the face of enormous, overwhelming economic problems. Theyre doing it in the face of water and energy problems, he said.
Ambassador Holbrooke also cited improvement in US-Pakistan relations over the last year as a result of high-level American engagement with the Pakistani leadership.
Well, this is a work in progress. This administration took office just over 13 months ago. I have said before and Ill say it again today that US relations with the government of Pakistan, civilian and military side, are much better today than they were 13 months ago, he said.
Last week, Mr Holbrooke wrapped up his second trip to South Asia this year, and his first visit to Central Asia since President Barack Obama appointed him to his post.
On Tuesday, he briefed the media at the State Department about his visit, saying: I think that in Pakistan and in Afghanistan, but particularly in Pakistan, there has been a movement, a shift in sentiment here. In Pakistan right now, my greatest concern is to help the Pakistanis with their economic and energy problems.
Assessing Pakistans recent efforts to combat terrorism, he said: I think theyre on the right track in this other area.
Washington felt the need to now focus on Pakistans economic and energy issues, said Mr Holbrooke, adding that the Obama administration had set up a water resources task force at the State Department to help Pakistan deal with a looming water crisis.
The US envoy, who also visited Dushanbe during this trip, said that Tajikistans vast water resources could ease water shortages in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The US, he added, was now focussing more and more of our attention to helping Pakistan overcome its economic problems and was trying to increase its financial support to Islamabad.
Mr Holbrooke confirmed that last week the US paid Pakistan $349 million in Coalition Support Fund, part of some $2 billion Islamabad is trying to get reimbursed. But he did not say if considerable efforts on the US side to free up that money have played a role in greater Pakistani US security cooperation of late.
No hidden agenda: The US envoy said he believed theres no hidden agenda behind recent arrests of some top Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan and also welcomed Pakistans success in wresting control of a strategic militant redoubt in Bajaur.
His remarks are in line with recent statements by other US officials praising what they describe as Pakistans renewed commitment to the fight against terrorism.
But his observations are more pertinent because they reflect on the consultations Mr Holbrooke held during his long trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
I see no evidence to support that theory. But its out there, said Mr Holbrooke when asked to comment on recent US media reports that Pakistan had arrested some Taliban leaders last month to derail the Afghan peace process.
Conspiracy theories are stock-in-trade in not just in this part of the world. But I dont see any evidence for it, he added.
And I know somewhat more than I am at liberty to disclose about the circumstances under which these events took place, and every detail tends to work against that thesis.
Mr Holbrooke noted that Islamabad had continued its operations against the militants in the face of some pressing economic, water and energy problems.
This is a very important sequence of events, and we hope it will continue. I dont want to draw any strategic conclusions from it. I just want to express my appreciation to the Pakistani government and its army for what its doing, he said referring to a series of actions against the Taliban militants.
The Pakistanis are doing these things in the face of enormous, overwhelming economic problems. Theyre doing it in the face of water and energy problems, he said.
Ambassador Holbrooke also cited improvement in US-Pakistan relations over the last year as a result of high-level American engagement with the Pakistani leadership.
Well, this is a work in progress. This administration took office just over 13 months ago. I have said before and Ill say it again today that US relations with the government of Pakistan, civilian and military side, are much better today than they were 13 months ago, he said.
