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Sunday, January 22

Note to Mrs Clinton: Pakistan stopped having a legitimate interest in Afghanistan on the day it first unleashed terrorism against Afghans

From a May 2011 post about U.S.-Pakistan cooperation in the fight against terrorism at B. Raman's Strategic Analysis blog
[...] 26.In return for the promised counter-terrorism cooperation, Mrs Clinton offered “respect for and addressing” Pakistan’s concerns about the political settlement in Afghanistan. She did not elaborate, but said she was convinced that Pakistan had “legitimate” interests in the settlement of the Afghan conflict and its role was indispensable for the success of the reconciliation process. According to [Pakistani English-language newspaper] "Dawn", Mrs Clinton was particularly critical of the growing anti-Americanism in Pakistan. Although she didn’t explicitly say so, it was evident from her remarks that she thought a segment of the establishment was responsible for promoting it. She said: "In solving its problems Pakistan should understand that anti-Americanism and conspiracy theories will not make its problems disappear.” According to "Dawn", her Pakistani interlocutors complained to her that statements by US officials, leaks to media and unilateral actions were reducing the space for cooperation.
Those leaks to the media gave the American public its first clear view of Pakistan's actions against U.S. and other NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Mrs Clinton's statement offering that Pakistan has legitimate interests in Pakistan can't be considered diplomacy in light of the regime's proxy war against NATO forces in Afghanistan; it was handing the Pakistani regime an advantage it didn't deserve. Worse, it was signaling to the regime that Washington was willing to go on playing ostrich.

The upshot has been written in the blood of NATO and Afghan soldiers and civilians.

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