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Pakistan Knocks Obama on Comments
Pakistan criticized U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday for
saying that, if elected, he might order unilateral military strikes against
terrorists hiding in this Islamic country.
Top Pakistan officials said Obama's comment was irresponsible and likely
made for political gain in the race for the Democratic nomination.
"It's a very irresponsible statement, that's all I can say," Pakistan's
Foreign Minister Khusheed Kasuri told AP Television News. "As the election
campaign in America is heating up we would not like American candidates to
fight their elections and contest elections at our expense."
Also Friday, a senior Pakistani official condemned another presidential
hopeful, Colorado Republican Tom Tancredo, for saying the best way he could
think of to deter a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. would be to
threaten to retaliate by bombing the holiest Islamic sites of Mecca and
Medina.
Obama said in a speech Wednesday that as president he would order military
action against terrorists in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan
if intelligence warranted it. The comment provoked anger in Pakistan, a key
ally of the United States in its war on terror.
Many analysts believe that top Taliban and al-Qaida leaders, including Osama
bin Laden, are hiding in the region after escaping the U.S.-led invasion of
Afghanistan in 2001.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has come under growing pressure from
Washington to do more to tackle the alleged al-Qaida havens in Pakistan. The
Bush administration has not ruled out military strikes, but still stresses
the importance of cooperating with Pakistan.
"There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000
Americans. They are plotting to strike again," Obama said. "If we have
actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President
Musharraf will not act, we will."
The Associated Press of Pakistan reported Friday that Musharraf was asked at
a dinner at Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's house on Thursday about the
potential of U.S. military operations in Pakistan. Musharraf told guests
that Pakistan was "fully capable" of tackling terrorists in the country and
did not need foreign assistance.
Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azim said no foreign forces would be
allowed to enter Pakistan, and called Obama irresponsible.
"I think those who make such statements are not aware of our contribution"
in the fight on terrorism, he said.
Pakistan used to be a main backer of the Taliban, but it threw its support
behind Washington following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Since then, Pakistan has deployed about 90,000 troops in its tribal regions,
mostly in lawless North and South Waziristan, and has lost hundreds of
troops in fighting with militants there.
But a controversial strategy to make peace with militants and use tribesmen
to police Waziristan has fueled U.S. fears that al-Qaida has been given
space to regroup.
In Pakistan's national assembly on Friday, Minister for Parliamentary
Affairs Sher Afgan said he would bring on a debate next week on recent
criticism of Pakistan from several quarters in the U.S., including
Tancredo's remarks.
It was a matter of "grave concern that U.S. presidential candidates are
using unethical and immoral tactics against Islam and Pakistan to win their
election," Afghan said.
Tancredo told about 30 people at a town hall meeting in Osceola, Iowa, on
Tuesday that he believes that a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. could
be imminent and that the U.S. needs to hurry up and think of a way to stop
it.
"If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland
of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and
Medina. Because that's the only thing I can think of that might deter
somebody from doing what they otherwise might do," he said.
Pakistan Knocks Obama on Comments
Pakistan criticized U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday for
saying that, if elected, he might order unilateral military strikes against
terrorists hiding in this Islamic country.
Top Pakistan officials said Obama's comment was irresponsible and likely
made for political gain in the race for the Democratic nomination.
"It's a very irresponsible statement, that's all I can say," Pakistan's
Foreign Minister Khusheed Kasuri told AP Television News. "As the election
campaign in America is heating up we would not like American candidates to
fight their elections and contest elections at our expense."
Also Friday, a senior Pakistani official condemned another presidential
hopeful, Colorado Republican Tom Tancredo, for saying the best way he could
think of to deter a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. would be to
threaten to retaliate by bombing the holiest Islamic sites of Mecca and
Medina.
Obama said in a speech Wednesday that as president he would order military
action against terrorists in Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan
if intelligence warranted it. The comment provoked anger in Pakistan, a key
ally of the United States in its war on terror.
Many analysts believe that top Taliban and al-Qaida leaders, including Osama
bin Laden, are hiding in the region after escaping the U.S.-led invasion of
Afghanistan in 2001.
President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has come under growing pressure from
Washington to do more to tackle the alleged al-Qaida havens in Pakistan. The
Bush administration has not ruled out military strikes, but still stresses
the importance of cooperating with Pakistan.
"There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000
Americans. They are plotting to strike again," Obama said. "If we have
actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President
Musharraf will not act, we will."
The Associated Press of Pakistan reported Friday that Musharraf was asked at
a dinner at Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's house on Thursday about the
potential of U.S. military operations in Pakistan. Musharraf told guests
that Pakistan was "fully capable" of tackling terrorists in the country and
did not need foreign assistance.
Deputy Information Minister Tariq Azim said no foreign forces would be
allowed to enter Pakistan, and called Obama irresponsible.
"I think those who make such statements are not aware of our contribution"
in the fight on terrorism, he said.
Pakistan used to be a main backer of the Taliban, but it threw its support
behind Washington following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Since then, Pakistan has deployed about 90,000 troops in its tribal regions,
mostly in lawless North and South Waziristan, and has lost hundreds of
troops in fighting with militants there.
But a controversial strategy to make peace with militants and use tribesmen
to police Waziristan has fueled U.S. fears that al-Qaida has been given
space to regroup.
In Pakistan's national assembly on Friday, Minister for Parliamentary
Affairs Sher Afgan said he would bring on a debate next week on recent
criticism of Pakistan from several quarters in the U.S., including
Tancredo's remarks.
It was a matter of "grave concern that U.S. presidential candidates are
using unethical and immoral tactics against Islam and Pakistan to win their
election," Afghan said.
Tancredo told about 30 people at a town hall meeting in Osceola, Iowa, on
Tuesday that he believes that a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. could
be imminent and that the U.S. needs to hurry up and think of a way to stop
it.
"If it is up to me, we are going to explain that an attack on this homeland
of that nature would be followed by an attack on the holy sites in Mecca and
Medina. Because that's the only thing I can think of that might deter
somebody from doing what they otherwise might do," he said.
