Obama tells PM he's 'very fond of Pakistan'

[sparklingway]

Pakistan, US pledge to cement ties
​

Monday, April 12, 2010

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir & Sami Abraham

WASHINGTON: Pakistan and the United States have pledged to strengthen their ties beyond the strategic partnership in the interest of the people of the two countries.

Pakistan has been assured that Washington would cater to its needs in the fields of security, energy and the economy. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who has come here to attend the Nuclear Security Summit on the invitation of the US President Barack Obama, will have an extensive meeting with the US president immediately after his arrival at Blair House. The meeting was in progress at the time of ourleaders had candid exchange of views and discussed the whole gamut of the Pak-US relationship. It was the second meeting of the two as Barack Obama had his first meeting with Pakistan’s leader two years ago when he was in the process of his election campaign. Prime Minister Gilani has given the wish list of Pakistan covering its requirements for various fields.

Pakistan delegation had the first extremely pleasant surprise when the PM delegation including the media team was not screened at the airport and even they had not to go through the ordinary checking process. The protocol given to the prime minister was unprecedented in the recent history. Pakistan Ambassador in the United States Husain Haqqani and US protocol officials received him at the airport and guard of honour was presented to him. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi accompanied the prime minister. The meeting of Prime Minister Gilani and the US President has attained importance in the backdrop of successful Strategic Dialogue of the two countries last month.

Earlier, a senior US official here said on condition of anonymity that US President Barack Obama will ask Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to take stern and decisive action against banned militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LT) in Punjab.

The official said that despite the fact that Strategic Plan Division of National Command Authority of Pakistan has about 10,000 trained soldiers to protect country’s nuclear weapons and the infrastructure that produces it, the US still believes that the major threat to Pakistan’s nuclear assets comes from Punjab-based LT that was “struggling hard to get the dirty bomb”.

The official said President Obama in meeting with Prime Minister Gilani would appreciate Pakistan’s role in dealing with the terrorists in Swat and tribal areas of Pakistan. He will also renew the US pledge to overcome Pakistan’s energy crisis, strengthen democratic institutions and country’s economy. But President Obama will be very frank and open in telling the visiting prime minister that it would be in the interest of Pakistan and the world to take action against LT without any delay.

President Obama is also likely to tell Pakistani premier that US will be open in considering all options including the civilian nuclear technology to overcome Pakistan’s energy crisis. The US officials say that LT has continued to flourish in Pakistan. And what makes it so dangerous was that unlike the mostly Pashtun Taliban it recruits its followers in the Punjab - the area where the Pakistani army recruits its officers corps.

A US think tank, Bruce Reidal, who is also considered to be very close to the White House had said in a commentary just a day before the arrival of Prime Minister Gilani in USA that “relationship between the army and the LT is a family affair. That gives the LT the possibility of access to the arsenal through insider connections that other terror groups lack”.

Reidal further states, “LT demonstrated at Mumbai that its goal is mass casualty terror. Detonating a stolen nuclear device planted in an Indian city would be a triumph for the group’s goal of terrorising India like no other attack.

He says Pakistan has taken serious measures to protect the crown jewels of its national security but it lives in a perilous time. If there is a nightmare nuclear security scenario in Pakistan today it is probably an inside the family job that ends up in a nuclear Armageddon in India.

 

[Creder]

mast mahool tay mithay chaul

 

[Creder]

I dont really care about the fondness but you guys gotta read the bottom part


WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has said he is "very fond of Pakistan" and pledged a long-term commitment to the frontline US partner as he met with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Gilani was among a handful of leaders Obama met separately on the eve of a major nuclear summit in Washington as his administration makes a concerted effort to reduce anti-American sentiment in Pakistan.

Obama opened the meeting "by noting that he is very fond of Pakistan, having visited the country during college," the White House said in statement.

Obama voiced appreciation for Pakistan's response to an attack last week on the US consulate in Peshawar, offering condolences over the assault and a separate bombing against a rally that together left 46 people dead.

"These two attacks on the same day are important to note because the extremists do not distinguish between us and we are truly facing a common enemy," Obama was quoted as saying by the White House.

The White House said the relationship between Pakistan and the United States was "of significant importance because of the shared values of our countries and the fight we are both engaged in against extremists operating in South Asia."

Obama "also noted that our multi-faceted and long-term strategic relationship goes far beyond security issues," the statement said.

The United States last year approved a 7.5-billion-dollar aid package to Pakistan in hopes of developing the economy and democratic institutions of the Islamic world's only declared nuclear power.

But Obama has had to strike a careful balance as he also seeks to develop warmer relations with Pakistan's historic rival India.


Obama met earlier in the day with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who urged the US leader to put pressure on Pakistan to rein in extremists responsible for the grisly 2008 assault on Mumbai.

The White House made no explicit mention of the Indian concerns in its account of the meeting with Gilani.

 

[mrwarrior006]

wellll no big surprise to me

recent stand off between INDIA AND US it was bound to happeen

india opposes fresh sanctions on IRAn

india denies halbrooke entry

and copenhagen

 

[TechLahore]

I, for one, believe him when he says he is fond of Pakistan.

There was a lot of talk prior to the election about how he would support US boots on the ground in FATA and other nonsense like that, but there has been a significant level of synergy attained by the US and Pakistan since he came to power. The relationship is a lot better than it was 12 or 18 months ago.

Net-net, Barack Hussein Obama has been good for the US-Pakistan relationship.

He has also been tougher on Israel than past governments and has taken a stand on the settlement issue, which I think is a real sign of progress.

Given how things shape up in the near future, I think Pakistani and Muslim Americans need to line up behind him and make sure he gets their full support.

 

[Creder]

^ Tech i dont think the support of muslims in US will be seen as a good sign for Obama

But one thing for sure Pakistan needs to lobby like they've never done before. This is one chance Pakistance has to get the message across to the western media, that can make life a lot easier for us

 

[TechLahore]

The muslims are quite aware of that... they don't need to openly make too much noise about their support for him, but their numbers now are quite large. By almost all accounts, larger than the jewish population in the US. And muslim communities are very wealthy also. Obama can get a significant shot in the arm without either the muslims, or Obama, having to be overly vocal about this.

That said, it is unfortunate that in a democracy and supposedly enlightened and educated nation like the US, people are still so significantly prejudiced that they can't get over Obama's middle name.

 

[BJlaowai]

Source please. I only found it on TOI. So how credible is it here?

 

[TechLahore]

Source please. I only found it on TOI. So how credible is it here?

AFP:

AFP: Obama tells PM he's 'very fond of Pakistan'

 

[Omar1984]

wellll no big surprise to me

recent stand off between INDIA AND US it was bound to happeen

india opposes fresh sanctions on IRAn

india denies halbrooke entry

and copenhagen

This got nothing to do with India.

Obama visited Pakistan. He actually saw Pakistan himself. He set foot in the country, interacted with Pakistani people, saw Pakistan with his own two eyes.

I remember talking to an American lady in the plane once and she asked me where I was from and I said Pakistan. She said she visited Pakistan once and loved the experience, the people, the culture, everything about Pakistan.

People who visit Pakistan will know first hand how great Pakistan and Pakistani people really are.

Check out her trip to Pakistan. There's 45 parts to her videos of her trip to Pakistan.

 

[Creder]

UNDERNEWS: OBAMA THREATENS AGAIN TO INVADE PAKISTAN

Did you even read that ? the article has nothing to do with the headlines. There are plenty of bad things Obama said about Pakistan in the beginning but you can surely look for better sources

Also this thread wasn't to show Obama's fondness, check out the red highlights at the bottom. THATS what this thread is for

 

[PakistaniPhysco]

Obama certainly has good feelings for Pakistan.The real loosers are American Indians who voted for him when he said I will invade Pakistan if needed and many Indian Americans got orgams and voted him into power.Poor loosers must be loosing it now.Anyway, I hope Obama administration wins the next elections.

 

[AVADI]

India moving away from USA- good for India.

Pakistan moving close to USA- good for India.

 

[Bang Galore]

The muslims are quite aware of that... they don't need to openly make too much noise about their support for him, but their numbers now are quite large. By almost all accounts, larger than the jewish population in the US. And muslim communities are very wealthy also. Obama can get a significant shot in the arm without either the muslims, or Obama, having to be overly vocal about this.

I think you are overgeneralising . The Muslim population is not a homogeneous entity having one single concern. I also think that you know that the size of the Jewish population is not necessarily commiserate with their influence. Their wealth and also that of the Indian Americans who might be another group of interest to you is much higher than any other group. In any case, a U.S. President can only go as far as the general mood of the country which actually is very evident in Obama's abject failure with the West Asia peace negotiations. His inability to pressurise Israel to do the basic minimum to get the talks underway reflects this reality.

That said, it is unfortunate that in a democracy and supposedly enlightened and educated nation like the US, people are still so significantly prejudiced that they can't get over Obama's middle name.

That's being more than a little unfair. Obama's election proved that most of America indeed did get over that but no President can get a free ride especially during such tough economic times.

 

[Ghareeb_Da_Baal]

I, for one, believe him when he says he is fond of Pakistan.

Actions speak louder than words! Mush, Zia.................. N.S, BB all claimed their love. Look where we are today!