WASHINGTON :
The Obama Administration believes American assistance for Pakistan and its
counterterrorism cooperation with the key regional country is in the long-term
interests of the United States, the State Department said. “We’ve also been making
this point, that our counterterrorism cooperation and our
assistance to Pakistan is in the long-term national security interests
of the United States,” a State Department spokesman said.
Spokesman Mark Toner was
responding to questions in the wake of moves made by a couple of lawmakers to
curtail aid for the South Asian country following discovery of eliminated
al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani town.
He observed the lawmakers have some legitimate concerns on the issue but underscored the importance of assistance for both countries, who have worked closely to fight militants in the Afghan border region since 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Washington’s assistance for Pakistan, Toner remarked, is also “in the long-term interest of building a “ or interest of building a stronger, more prosperous, and more democratic Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, reacting to concerns about bin Laden having lived undetected in a Pakistani town, Islamabad’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani told CNN that Pakistan “had no interest whatsoever as a nation, as a government, as a state in keeping Osama bin Laden” on its land.
Haqqani said Pakistan is looking into bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad - before the militant was taken out by U.S. forces in a midnight operation last week - and that Islamabad wants to get to the bottom of things.
International security and regional experts stress that Pakistan’s role is vital to achieving stability in its Western neighbor Afghanistan including through political means. The US-led allies also rely critically on Pakistan for transportation of supplies for NATO and American troops deployed on the Afghan soil.
According to former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlin, a massive amount of supplies still pass through Pakistan while the northern route through Central Asian states is very long and expensive. APP
He observed the lawmakers have some legitimate concerns on the issue but underscored the importance of assistance for both countries, who have worked closely to fight militants in the Afghan border region since 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Washington’s assistance for Pakistan, Toner remarked, is also “in the long-term interest of building a “ or interest of building a stronger, more prosperous, and more democratic Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, reacting to concerns about bin Laden having lived undetected in a Pakistani town, Islamabad’s ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani told CNN that Pakistan “had no interest whatsoever as a nation, as a government, as a state in keeping Osama bin Laden” on its land.
Haqqani said Pakistan is looking into bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad - before the militant was taken out by U.S. forces in a midnight operation last week - and that Islamabad wants to get to the bottom of things.
International security and regional experts stress that Pakistan’s role is vital to achieving stability in its Western neighbor Afghanistan including through political means. The US-led allies also rely critically on Pakistan for transportation of supplies for NATO and American troops deployed on the Afghan soil.
According to former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlin, a massive amount of supplies still pass through Pakistan while the northern route through Central Asian states is very long and expensive. APP
