General Kayani blocking every key US move

[Pak123]

WASHINGTON: The latest book by journalist Bob Woodward remarkably paints Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and President Asif Ali Zardari as two divergent personalities, one a brave and strong nerved soldier who was standing up against every key US demand and the other a spoilt politician who knows nothing about governance.

The book is credible because it quotes top US officials and what they think about these two important personalities of Pakistan and repeatedly recalls and emphasizes on the political weakness of President Zardari.

It is not Woodward who has given these descriptions but he quotes written letters, memos and diplomats, none of which has so far been denied. What has happened to Nato supplies is also a clear indicator.
These descriptions include one by outgoing US Ambassador in Islamabad Anne Patterson. On Page 136 Woodward recalls a meeting between recently retired National Security Adviser of President Obama Jim Jones and Ms Patterson in Islamabad.

He writes: “A small, forthright woman, she gave a candid private assessment of the situation. “I worry that all of this is just going to blow up. Zardari doesn’t know anything about governing. He will never get out from being Mr Benazir Bhutto, but he’s basically on our side.”
Jones met next afternoon with President Zardari, and I (Woodward) joined them for the last 15 minutes. “Zardari sat between two photographs of his late wife —- one of her campaigning, the other a pensive close-up. His black hair was pomaded to his scalp and his suit had the smart cut of an expensive tailor. He beamed with a wide smile that appeared whenever I asked troubling questions. Zardari acknowledged the influence of the Taliban in Pakistan and said, “It is a thin line to walk with the Taliban. We must walk in small steps.”

On relations with India, he took pride in what he deemed a significant liberalising moment. “I’ve allowed Indian movies for the first time.”
Woodward then gives the assessment of what the Americans thought about Zardari. On Page 137 he writes: “Afterward, Jones and his staff debated whether they should worry more about Pakistan or Afghanistan. Several members of his staff said the chief problem was Pakistan — Zardari’s political vulnerability, the continuing dominance of the country’s military-intelligence complex, its nuclear weapons, the persistent presence of al-Qaeda training camps in the ungoverned regions, and the possibility of a misstep with the CIA drone attacks that could dramatically shift the political calculus.”

In another revealing account of what the US officials think about Pakistan under Zardari, Woodward writes on Page 208: Later, that day at 3.30 PM, Obama gathered his team for a three-hour review and discussion of Pakistan.

“Lavoy began by summarizing the intelligence picture. Pakistan suffered from the enduring we’re-with-you, we’re-not-with-you schizophrenia, the continuing dominance of the military-intelligence complex, and President Zardari’s political weakness.
“The consensus inside the intelligence community was that Afghanistan would not get straightened out until there was a stable relationship between Pakistan and India. A more mature and less combustible relationship between the two long time adversaries was more important than building Afghanistan, Lavoy said.
Lavoy revisited the Bush years. “We had engaged Musharraf as though he was Pakistan, which he was.” But with Musharraf out of office and living in London, the US still had not done enough to build relations with other political entities. Deep Pakistani mistrust of American intentions persisted.”

“Mullen pointed out that the robust military-to-military programmes with Pakistan had grown to nearly $2 billion a year for training, equipment and other enterprises. Relations were getting better. The admiral was spending a lot of time with General Kayani, improving trust between the countries.”

Woodward also reveals that a three-page trip report signed by Jim Jones was given to President Obama. “It contained a pessimistic summary, noting first the gap between the civilian and military authority in Pakistan.”

“The US was getting nowhere fast with these guys, talking with Zardari, who could deliver nothing. On the other hand, Kayani had the power to deliver, but he refused to do much. Nobody could tell him otherwise. The bottom line was depressing: This had been a charade. Jones said he was once again alarmed that success in Afghanistan was tied to what the Pakistanis would or would not do. The White House was almost right back to where it had started with Pakistan in 2009.” Tomorrow: What the US knows about supply lines.

General Kayani blocking every key US move

 

[JonAsad]

Thanks God Musharraf made him the Army Chief.

 

[silent hill]

i personally believe army is much less corrupt than these corrupts who chant democracy.., in army it is taught the principle of life, than makes them less harmful

 

[Man of Thoughts]

There is always someone there who stands in the way of destruction of Pakistan.
Thanks to ALLAH ALMIGHTY Who always helps us despite what kind of bad people we are.....

 

[Gabbar]

Kayani calls shots, Zardari 'despised' in Pak: Expert

Describing Pakistan's powerful army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as a "complicated figure," a top US expert on South Asia has said the General along with ISI's Ahmad Shuja Pasha is the one who calls the shots in that country while President Asif Ali Zardari is "absolutely despised and loathed."

"It's interesting that the United States claims to want a democratic Pakistan, but whenever there's a Congressional delegation that goes to Pakistan, they don't meet their counterparts in the National Assembly. They all want to meet General Kayani and General Pasha, because they understand that's where the power lies," said Christina Fair of the Georgetown University.

"What Pakistan is doing vis-a-vis the terrorist groups that target India as well as us, like Lashkar-e-Taiba, what Pakistan is doing vis-a-vis the Afghan-Taliban, those policies are all going to be negotiated by General Kayani and General Pasha," she said in an interview to the popular National Public Radio.

It will be very difficult for the US to achieve its objectives in the war against terrorism and nuclear proliferation by alienating the Pakistani army, Fair said.

"But in some sense, that's exactly what it has to do if it wants to secure a future for Pakistan that is democratic and where the civilians have control over the military, not the military having control over the civilians," she said in response to a question.

Kayani is an interesting fellow, Fair said, adding that interestingly enough, the United States is always besotted by the newest chief of army staff. "They're convinced that he's a democrat, that he means well, all of these things. But the reality is he's a much more complicated figure," she said.

"He was the director of the ISI, which is the all-important intelligence agency, during the time when Pakistan began its U-turn... against the Taliban. So, it's interesting that we herald him now as the saviour of Pakistan in some measure, when it was his policies when he was the ISI chief that brought about some of the most precipitous conflicts in US-Pakistan relations over Afghanistan," she said.

Kayani calls shots, Zardari 'despised' in Pak: Expert - Hindustan Times

 

[mughaljee]

Moderator,
is this news not already floating ?