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Taliban Resurgence Upsets Pak-US ties
ISLAMABAD — Shaken by the remarkable resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan, relations between strategic allies Pakistan and the United States are in a critical phase with American lawmakers to mount pressure on Islamabad to do more.
"Of course, it is a difficult time for Pakistan-US relations," Mansoor Alam, a former ambassador and founding member of the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations, Economic Affairs and Law, told IslamOnline.net.
"The increasing re-insurgency of Taliban in Afghanistan is causing unhappiness for us in Washington."
Alam, who had served as ambassador to Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia and Finland, noted that ties between two allies were not as congenial as they were between 2001 and 2004.
"There are new people in Congress and Senate, who see Pakistan's role in the war on terror with a different eye," he said referring to the new Democratic leadership of the two chambers of Congress.
"They think that Pakistan is not doing much against Taliban and infiltration into Afghanistan, and unfortunately the US media is also vindicating the Democrats' stand."
In a recent report, The New York Times said Al-Qaeda leadership has reconstituted itself by creating a new generation of leaders who are based in Pakistan's northern tribal belt.
Pakistan complains that it is being scapegoated for failures inside Afghanistan and contends that it has received no evidence that key figures such as Osama bin Laden or Taliban leader Mullah Omar were on its soil.
New Changes
The former ambassador, currently a legal consultant specializing in international law, said the Democrats' control over Congress is one of the major reasons for the deteriorating ties between Islamabad and Washington.
"Traditionally, Democrats have been slanted towards India, whereas Republicans have been close to Pakistan," he argued.
"However, in spite of this historical fact, it won't be easy for Democrats to ignore Pakistan this time because of its strategic role in war on terror."
Alam believes the presence and failure of US forces in war-ravaged Iraq has a direct link to the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan.
"Taliban have learnt the lesson from the Iraq war and decided not to surrender," he contends.
He added that Washington and Afghan President Hamid Karzai were unwilling to admit their shortcomings.
"The USA and Karzai are not ready to admit their flaws in this regard…The weak grip of Karzai on government affairs is another reason for that."
More
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1176025519282&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
"The increasing re-insurgency of Taliban in Afghanistan is causing unhappiness for us in Washington."
Alam, who had served as ambassador to Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia and Finland, noted that ties between two allies were not as congenial as they were between 2001 and 2004.
"There are new people in Congress and Senate, who see Pakistan's role in the war on terror with a different eye," he said referring to the new Democratic leadership of the two chambers of Congress.
"They think that Pakistan is not doing much against Taliban and infiltration into Afghanistan, and unfortunately the US media is also vindicating the Democrats' stand."
In a recent report, The New York Times said Al-Qaeda leadership has reconstituted itself by creating a new generation of leaders who are based in Pakistan's northern tribal belt.
Pakistan complains that it is being scapegoated for failures inside Afghanistan and contends that it has received no evidence that key figures such as Osama bin Laden or Taliban leader Mullah Omar were on its soil.
New Changes
The former ambassador, currently a legal consultant specializing in international law, said the Democrats' control over Congress is one of the major reasons for the deteriorating ties between Islamabad and Washington.
"Traditionally, Democrats have been slanted towards India, whereas Republicans have been close to Pakistan," he argued.
"However, in spite of this historical fact, it won't be easy for Democrats to ignore Pakistan this time because of its strategic role in war on terror."
Alam believes the presence and failure of US forces in war-ravaged Iraq has a direct link to the resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan.
"Taliban have learnt the lesson from the Iraq war and decided not to surrender," he contends.
He added that Washington and Afghan President Hamid Karzai were unwilling to admit their shortcomings.
"The USA and Karzai are not ready to admit their flaws in this regard…The weak grip of Karzai on government affairs is another reason for that."
More
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1176025519282&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
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