Dialogue Is Only Way To Peace In Region: Zardari
September 17, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
LONDON: President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday said the negotiations are the only way which could ensure the peace between Pakistan and India.
Talking to a UK-based newspaper in an interview, he said, ‘In our view, the resumption of a sustained engagement and dialogue with India could ally each others’ concerns. Both Pakistan and India need to avoid hostile propaganda and confrontation against each other.’
The president continued, ‘Pakistan is ready to cooperate with India to punish the perpetrators of terror attacks in Mumbai. Pakistan has assured that it would not allow its territory to be used against India for any acts of terror.’
Zardari underscored that India must also reciprocate and address our concerns which are very genuine, adding the dialogue is the only way forward; absence of dialogue leads to tension.
President Zardari said soon after re-election as prime minister in May, 2009, Manmohan Singh accused Pakistan of involvement in [the] Mumbai incident, adding these allegations were rejected by Pakistan.
Dialogue Is Only Way To Peace In Region: Zardari was first posted on September 17, 2009 at 9:24 am.
©2009 “News Trends“.
US Military To Afghan War, No Decision Soon: Obama
September 17, 2009 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama said Wednesday there will be no quick decision on whether to send more U.S. troops into the widening war in Afghanistan. “My determination is to get this right,” he said.
On Tuesday, Adm. Mike Mullen, Obama’s top military adviser as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, endorsed an increase in U.S. forces as probably necessary to battle a deepening insurgency. The U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, also has delivered a grim assessment of the war and is expected to follow up soon with a request for thousands of additional troops.
“I’m going to take a very deliberate process in making those decisions,” said Obama, taking questions from reporters as he sat in the Oval Office with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. “And so I just want to be absolutely clear, because there’s been a lot of discussion in the press about this: There is no immediate decision pending on resources,” Obama said.
“One of the things that I’m absolutely clear about is you have to get the strategy right and then make determinations about resources,” Obama said.
“You don’t make determinations about resources — certainly you don’t make determinations about sending your men and women into battle — without having absolute clarity about what the strategy is going to be.”
Asked if U.S. and NATO forces were winning the war in Afghanistan, Obama did not answer directly.
But he said it is evident that “we have lacked as clear of a strategy and a mission as is necessary in order to meet our overriding objectives.”
Obama described that as disrupting the al-Qaida terrorist network so that it cannot launch attacks on the United States and its allies. “That has not yet occurred,” he said.
Harper, who has 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, said the Taliban do not constitute a viable alternative government, and in that sense progress has been made. He said, however, that “we are concerned about the strength of the insurgency” and in Afghanistan’s ability to take long-sought, day-to-day responsibility for its own security.
Canada plans to withdraw its troops in 2011.
Both Harper and Obama also sought to inject perspective into tensions over cross-border economic protectionism.
US Military To Afghan War, No Decision Soon: Obama was first posted on September 17, 2009 at 11:21 am.
©2009 “News Trends“.
