Clinton Leaves Pakistan With Thorny Question On Al Qaeda

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wound up a bridge-building visit to Pakistan on Friday leaving a pointed question ringing in her hosts’ ears: Where are the al Qaeda leaders operating in your country?

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wound up a bridge-building visit to Pakistan on Friday leaving a pointed question ringing in her hosts’ ears: Where are the al Qaeda leaders operating in your country?

While no Pakistani officials were immediately prepared to answer, ordinary citizens told Washington’s top diplomat the country was living on a daily basis with the consequences of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks engineered by the militant Islamist group.

While most Pakistanis are against the extremists, many also believe they are fuelled by Islamabad’s links with Washington.

On Thursday Clinton expressed disbelief no-one in authority knew where al Qaeda leaders were hiding out – a remark that may fuel much reaction once she leaves the country.

‘I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn’t get them if they really wanted to,’ she told a group of newspaper editors during a meeting in Lahore.

Clinton’s pointed remark was the first public gripe on a trip aimed at turning around a US-Pakistan relationship under serious strain, but bound in the struggle against religious extremism.

Clinton’s main message in Pakistan – that the forces binding Pakistanis and Americans together are far stronger than those dividing them – was constant, and she urged audiences to stand guard against extreme religious doctrine that seeks to impose its will on the population.

CLINTON DEFENDS BLUNT WORDS ON PAKISTAN

Hillary Clinton defended her blunt talk on Pakistan, saying it was important to have an open relationship between the countries even if it meant some tough words.

She defended her comments, that it was ‘hard to believe’ that no one in Pakistan’s government knew where al Qaeda leaders were hiding, in a series of morning television interviews aired in the United States on Friday.

‘I wanted to get that out on the table, because the Pakistanis have talked about a trust deficit and it’s a two-way street,’ Clinton said in an interview shown on NBC’s ‘Today Show.’ ‘We have questions, they have questions.’

In an interview aired on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America,’ Clinton said the two countries needed to be more open with each other.

‘It will not be sufficient to achieve the level of security that Pakistanis deserve if we don’t go after those who are still threatening not only Pakistan but Afghanistan and the rest of the world.’

In an interview with CNN, Clinton noted that she had been asking a question of Pakistan but did prejudge the answer. She also said the United States applauded Pakistan’s resolve for going after Taliban extremists.

‘But let’s not forget, they (the Taliban fighters) are now part of a terrorist syndicate that, in sort of classic syndicate terms, would be headed by al Qaeda,’ she told CNN.

FRIENDS AND SKEPTICS

Many participating in Clinton’s numerous public appearances in Pakistan expressed appreciation for US backing for the country and for Clinton’s personal outreach.

But more frequently Clinton’s ‘people to people’ diplomacy – with journalists, students and common people – has been characterised by sharp disagreements and deep distrust.

That is a potentially worrying sign for officials in Washington hoping to reverse a steep rise in anti-US sentiment in the increasingly fragile nuclear armed country.

Through it all, Clinton has proved unflappable, acknowledging the ‘trust deficit’ created by past US mistakes while firmly responding to charges the United States does not have Pakistan’s best interests at heart.

Clinton, who professes deep personal affection for Pakistan and its people, was cautiously optimistic her visit may have changed a few hearts and minds among fearful Pakistanis although she said much more needed to be done to illustrate how the United States is helping the country.

‘I’m going to try as hard as I can. But ultimately, we have to have actions between the two of us. Words are not enough,’ she said at a women’s gathering.—Reuters