Choppers
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
- Messages
- 1,300
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
US-Pak ties show signs of fraying
Chidanand Rajghatta | TNN
Washington: The wheels seem to be coming off US-Pakistan relations, with the once close allies squabbling testily in public even as Islamabad is whipping up hysteria over the so-called Indian threats and American machinations to escape its obligations to combat home-grown terrorism.
The simmering discord came to a boil this week when the US ambassador to Pakistan complained that Pakistani authorities were harassing US diplomatic personnel and hinted that Islamabad risked losing US assistance if it continued to deny visas to US officials and space for the US mission.
Ambassador Anne Patterson’s warning at a business meeting in Karachi was followed up by a rare public admonition of Pakistan by the US mission in Islamabad, in which it expressed concern about “continued provocative actions and false allegations” against US. personnel.
The wording of the statement suggested that the US believes there is a growing militaristic constituency in Pakistan that is now operating independently of the civilian government.
Hardline elements in the police and military have been detaining US vehicles and personnel, often accusing them of not carrying proper documentation and carrying weapons.
The US embassy called for “immediate action’’ by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The mission also asked Pakistani officials “to implement immediately the mutually agreed upon procedures for the issuance of license plates to US Mission vehicles and to cease these contrived incidents.’’
Pakistan becomes the focus of attention after any terrorist attack, including the botched Christmas Day one where there was no immediate Pakistani link. “The fact that this person was not trained in Pakistan does not change the fact that the inspiration for this comes from Al Qaida, and Al Qaida’s leadership is based on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border,’’ US special representative to A f - P a k Richard Holbrooke said on Thursday.
‘No Indo-Afghan border’
Washington: Contrary to India’s position that it has a boundary with Afghanistan, US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke has said the two countries share no border. “If you look at the map, Afghanistan has a lot of neighbours.... You mentioned India. India doesn’t have a common border with Afghanistan,” he said. He added that all of Afghanistan’s neighbours had a role to play in the stabilisation and demilitarisation of the country. PTI
Chidanand Rajghatta | TNN
Washington: The wheels seem to be coming off US-Pakistan relations, with the once close allies squabbling testily in public even as Islamabad is whipping up hysteria over the so-called Indian threats and American machinations to escape its obligations to combat home-grown terrorism.
The simmering discord came to a boil this week when the US ambassador to Pakistan complained that Pakistani authorities were harassing US diplomatic personnel and hinted that Islamabad risked losing US assistance if it continued to deny visas to US officials and space for the US mission.
Ambassador Anne Patterson’s warning at a business meeting in Karachi was followed up by a rare public admonition of Pakistan by the US mission in Islamabad, in which it expressed concern about “continued provocative actions and false allegations” against US. personnel.
The wording of the statement suggested that the US believes there is a growing militaristic constituency in Pakistan that is now operating independently of the civilian government.
Hardline elements in the police and military have been detaining US vehicles and personnel, often accusing them of not carrying proper documentation and carrying weapons.
The US embassy called for “immediate action’’ by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The mission also asked Pakistani officials “to implement immediately the mutually agreed upon procedures for the issuance of license plates to US Mission vehicles and to cease these contrived incidents.’’
Pakistan becomes the focus of attention after any terrorist attack, including the botched Christmas Day one where there was no immediate Pakistani link. “The fact that this person was not trained in Pakistan does not change the fact that the inspiration for this comes from Al Qaida, and Al Qaida’s leadership is based on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border,’’ US special representative to A f - P a k Richard Holbrooke said on Thursday.
‘No Indo-Afghan border’
Washington: Contrary to India’s position that it has a boundary with Afghanistan, US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke has said the two countries share no border. “If you look at the map, Afghanistan has a lot of neighbours.... You mentioned India. India doesn’t have a common border with Afghanistan,” he said. He added that all of Afghanistan’s neighbours had a role to play in the stabilisation and demilitarisation of the country. PTI
