ahlam1399
12-24-2017, 06:03 PM
ISLAMABAD: After an exchange of harsh words between Pakistan and the United States, the State Department has reiterated its ?clear expectations? from Islamabad amid warning from experts that Washington may opt for a risky special forces? operation against ?militant targets? inside Pakistan.
?While Pakistan is an important partner for achieving US priorities in the region, this administration has also set clear expectations for Pakistan to take a decisive action against terrorist and militant groups that operate from Pakistani soil,? a State Department spokesperson told The News while commenting on new US national security policy.
During an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Friday, US Vice President Mike Pence said the Trump administration had "put Pakistan on notice".
The Foreign Office in Islamabad reacted strongly to the statement saying: ?Allies do not put each other on notice."
Meanwhile, in an email response to the questions by The News, the State Department spokesperson said the US was seeking an eventual peace settlement in Afghanistan.
The US will partner with Afghanistan to promote security and stability in the region and to increase pressure on the ISIS and the Taliban through enhanced military resources and authorities, the spokesperson said.
?We will help set diplomatic conditions for a genuine peace settlement that finally ends the war,? the spokesperson added.
While the US-Pakistan tensions are high, a top US expert has hinted at the possibility of a Special Forces? operation inside Pakistan similar to the one in which Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden was reportedly killed in 2011.
?While risky, the possibility of America conducting a special forces? operation or two in Pakistan to nab big-fish terrorist targets can?t be ruled out,? says Michael Kugelman who is Senior Associate for South Asia at the US think tank Woodrow Wilson Centre.
In his article for an Indian publication, Kugelman however added that such an operation would likely require intelligence assistance from Pakistan that Islamabad would not provide.
He also acknowledged that any such US action would risk Pakistani retaliation which includes shutting down Nato supply lines and suspending intelligence cooperation which could undercut American interest.
Answering The News queries separately, Kugelman said the US-Pakistan relations were already very tense, and the new US security strategy won?t necessarily make them worse.
?If the relationship gets more tense, this will happen several months from now, when the US evaluates what Pakistan has done about terrorism and decides whether it should take punitive actions against Pakistan,? he said.
?The Pakistanis will express unhappiness, and the Americans will remain firm in their criticism, but at least for now it?s not going to precipitate a serious crisis in relations. If that crisis unfolds, it will happen in the coming months when the US is deciding what types of harsh measures, if any, it takes to put pressure on Pakistan,? he said.
When asked about the possible Chinese response to new US policy, Kugelman said Beijing may choose to respond in indirect ways.
?China is Pakistan?s ally, and so I imagine it will try to do some things, even if subtly, to telegraph its support for Islamabad in the face of more harsh words from the Americans,? he said
?I could see it issuing a few public statements expressing support for Pakistan?scounterterrorism operations, for example. This could indirectly push back against the claims in the (US) strategy,? he added.
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?While Pakistan is an important partner for achieving US priorities in the region, this administration has also set clear expectations for Pakistan to take a decisive action against terrorist and militant groups that operate from Pakistani soil,? a State Department spokesperson told The News while commenting on new US national security policy.
During an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Friday, US Vice President Mike Pence said the Trump administration had "put Pakistan on notice".
The Foreign Office in Islamabad reacted strongly to the statement saying: ?Allies do not put each other on notice."
Meanwhile, in an email response to the questions by The News, the State Department spokesperson said the US was seeking an eventual peace settlement in Afghanistan.
The US will partner with Afghanistan to promote security and stability in the region and to increase pressure on the ISIS and the Taliban through enhanced military resources and authorities, the spokesperson said.
?We will help set diplomatic conditions for a genuine peace settlement that finally ends the war,? the spokesperson added.
While the US-Pakistan tensions are high, a top US expert has hinted at the possibility of a Special Forces? operation inside Pakistan similar to the one in which Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden was reportedly killed in 2011.
?While risky, the possibility of America conducting a special forces? operation or two in Pakistan to nab big-fish terrorist targets can?t be ruled out,? says Michael Kugelman who is Senior Associate for South Asia at the US think tank Woodrow Wilson Centre.
In his article for an Indian publication, Kugelman however added that such an operation would likely require intelligence assistance from Pakistan that Islamabad would not provide.
He also acknowledged that any such US action would risk Pakistani retaliation which includes shutting down Nato supply lines and suspending intelligence cooperation which could undercut American interest.
Answering The News queries separately, Kugelman said the US-Pakistan relations were already very tense, and the new US security strategy won?t necessarily make them worse.
?If the relationship gets more tense, this will happen several months from now, when the US evaluates what Pakistan has done about terrorism and decides whether it should take punitive actions against Pakistan,? he said.
?The Pakistanis will express unhappiness, and the Americans will remain firm in their criticism, but at least for now it?s not going to precipitate a serious crisis in relations. If that crisis unfolds, it will happen in the coming months when the US is deciding what types of harsh measures, if any, it takes to put pressure on Pakistan,? he said.
When asked about the possible Chinese response to new US policy, Kugelman said Beijing may choose to respond in indirect ways.
?China is Pakistan?s ally, and so I imagine it will try to do some things, even if subtly, to telegraph its support for Islamabad in the face of more harsh words from the Americans,? he said
?I could see it issuing a few public statements expressing support for Pakistan?scounterterrorism operations, for example. This could indirectly push back against the claims in the (US) strategy,? he added.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/com/cwEr/~4/hzP7JzkCcgc
أكثر... (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/com/cwEr/~3/hzP7JzkCcgc/260005-pakistan-vital-for-achieving-us-priorities-in-region-state-dept)