Ali.009
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Condaleeza Rice in her farewell call to Bharati Prime Minister told him to lay off Pakistan. The UK minister Milliband irked Bharat by brining in Kashmir as the root cause of terror and instability in South Asia. When Delhi protested Milliband further rebuked Bharat by saying that he stood behind his Kashmir comment and it was not only his personal opinion, but also the opinion of the UK government. the new Obama administration is trying for a regional approach in resolving Afghanistan which means solving Kashmir. NATO is angered Mr. Karzai by calling his administration inept and corrupt. Now Mr. Manmohan Singh is off to Kabul to strengthen its ties with the outgoing “Mayor of Kabul” whose days in his palace are numbered.
NEW DELHI: As the diplomatic offensive by India takes on a more steady form of using the international community to put pressure on Pakistan to act, India is planning to rope in Afghanistan into the diplomatic initiative.
Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee will travel to Kabul later this week in a quiet visit to meet his counterpart and Afghan president Hamid Karzai. Coming virtually days after Karzai’s own visit to Delhi, the quiet visit is expected to focus on a number of key issues.
First, Mukherjee will coordinate approaches with the Afghan foreign minister for the forthcoming Saarc foreign ministers’ conclave in Colombo early February. Second, Indian construction and relief teams in Afghanistan are expected to get greater security especially as they are expected to come under further attack by Pakistani Taliban.
India and Afghanistan are on the same page where Pakistan and its support to terror is concerned. If India had not made much use of Afghanistan in the security sector earlier, all this might undergo a change.
Meanwhile, India fobbed off a reported request by outgoing US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice asking India to go easy on Pakistan. In a farewell call to Mukherjee, Rice said the US believed Pakistan was trying to end cross-border terrorism. The US has been leaning on Pakistan to end support to terrorism, she said.
Mukherjee retorted that India had been too restrained, and very understanding. He reportedly said that Pakistan should ensure punishment to those behind the Mumbai attacks and prevention of any further strikes in India, actions which Islamabad is expected to undertake.
India, in any case, will give Pakistan the time it will take for its investigations to be concluded. India, said sources, will expect a full report from Pakistan on the investigation. Delhi seeks Kabul help to put pressure on Pakistan 20 Jan 2009, 0530 hrs IST, Indrani Bagchi, TNN
The Bharati frustration began when the US Generals began talking to the Taliban. Saudi Arabia brokered meetings betwen the Taliban and the Afghan stooges in Kabul. Mulla Omar ostensibly told Karzai to take a hike, resign from office, take a plane out of Kabul and take the NATO forces with him. Then he would talk to peace.
