FATA needs more funds not bombs, Haqqani tells US
* Pakistan focused on fighting extremism along Afghan border
* Demands Marshall-like plan for countrys recovery
WASHINGTON: Arguing that the fight against terrorism is very much an economic-uplift struggle for Islamabad, Pakistans top diplomat in Washington has asked the US to step up its effort toward creating jobs in the militancy-hit areas along the Pak-Afghan border.
If the US cannot get the people on its side, then [no] number of bombings from high altitude are not going to change the ground reality, Husain Haqqani told an American think tank.
It is an economic war. You have to create economic opportunities, because somebody who does not have a future is more likely to become a suicide terrorist than somebody who has a chance to earn a college degree, he added.
Haqqanis comments came as Pakistan urged US Congressional action on two long-delayed initiatives the Kerry-Lugar assistance bill and Reconstruction Opportunity Zones which not only are meant to spur economic hope for people in the underdeveloped areas, but also to signal a long-term US commitment to the region.
Focused: The envoy said Pakistan was fully focused on fighting extremism along the Afghan border. He rejected criticism regarding the countrys efforts and termed it unfair. When the US government says theyve been able to eliminate 13 of the top 20 Al Qaeda leaders in the past 14 months, it wasnt without Pakistani support, he said.
Plan: He urged the equivalent of the post-World War II Marshall Plan to build schools and clinics in Pakistan.
He said people should be given the opportunity to make boxer shorts for Wal-Mart rather than improvised explosive devices for the Taliban. He said Islamabad also needed more military technology, including helicopters and night-vision gear, which had been delayed by the US Congress.
He said Predator drones need to be operated by Pakistanis or deployed with Pakistani participation to minimise resentment.
He said the government had also been trying non-military tactics, such as running a radio talk show, in the contested Swat Valley.
Haqqani said the US helped topple the Taliban in 2001, talked about victory and neglected the region again. [Today] its much easier to get support for a quick war than a war that helps change people, he said. Its easier to get Americans to support a car industry bailout in this country than a comprehensive campaign to stabilise the place where the 9/11 attackers hatched their plot. app
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
* Pakistan focused on fighting extremism along Afghan border
* Demands Marshall-like plan for countrys recovery
WASHINGTON: Arguing that the fight against terrorism is very much an economic-uplift struggle for Islamabad, Pakistans top diplomat in Washington has asked the US to step up its effort toward creating jobs in the militancy-hit areas along the Pak-Afghan border.
If the US cannot get the people on its side, then [no] number of bombings from high altitude are not going to change the ground reality, Husain Haqqani told an American think tank.
It is an economic war. You have to create economic opportunities, because somebody who does not have a future is more likely to become a suicide terrorist than somebody who has a chance to earn a college degree, he added.
Haqqanis comments came as Pakistan urged US Congressional action on two long-delayed initiatives the Kerry-Lugar assistance bill and Reconstruction Opportunity Zones which not only are meant to spur economic hope for people in the underdeveloped areas, but also to signal a long-term US commitment to the region.
Focused: The envoy said Pakistan was fully focused on fighting extremism along the Afghan border. He rejected criticism regarding the countrys efforts and termed it unfair. When the US government says theyve been able to eliminate 13 of the top 20 Al Qaeda leaders in the past 14 months, it wasnt without Pakistani support, he said.
Plan: He urged the equivalent of the post-World War II Marshall Plan to build schools and clinics in Pakistan.
He said people should be given the opportunity to make boxer shorts for Wal-Mart rather than improvised explosive devices for the Taliban. He said Islamabad also needed more military technology, including helicopters and night-vision gear, which had been delayed by the US Congress.
He said Predator drones need to be operated by Pakistanis or deployed with Pakistani participation to minimise resentment.
He said the government had also been trying non-military tactics, such as running a radio talk show, in the contested Swat Valley.
Haqqani said the US helped topple the Taliban in 2001, talked about victory and neglected the region again. [Today] its much easier to get support for a quick war than a war that helps change people, he said. Its easier to get Americans to support a car industry bailout in this country than a comprehensive campaign to stabilise the place where the 9/11 attackers hatched their plot. app
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
