No disagreement in Pentagon on Pakistan role: US

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon rejected reports Wednesday of disagreement among US officials over Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan after the top US military officer accused Islamabad of backing extremists.
A Pentagon spokesman said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta endorsed the view of Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told senators last week that Haqqani militants targeting Nato forces were a “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s main intelligence agency.
“The secretary and the chairman both agree that there are unacceptable links between elements of the Pakistani government and the Haqqanis,” press secretary George Little told reporters.
The Pakistani elements backing the Haqqani network “include the ISI” spy agency, he said.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday some defense and other officials disagreed with Mullen’s remarks and that the admiral had overstated the role of the ISI.
Unnamed officials told the Post that US intelligence reports did not have clear evidence Pakistan was exerting control over the Haqqanis, blamed for deadly attacks on US and Nato troops.
But Little said there was a “consensus view” in the Pentagon about the links between Pakistan and the Haqqani network, which operates out of sanctuaries in Pakistan.
“Everyone here understands there’s a link between elements of the Pakistani government and the Haqqanis,” he said.
“At the analytic level, there’s no disagreement,” he added.
Mullen’s outspoken comments to the Senate Armed Services Committee carried special significance as he has devoted much of his four-year tenure to cultivating relations with his Pakistani counterpart and has often tried to explain to American audiences the challenges facing the leadership in Islamabad.

White House will not second admiral on Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The White House is refusing to endorse controversial criticism of Pakistan leveled by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen.

White House press secretary Jay Carney was asked about Mullen’s claim in congressional testimony last week that the Haqqani insurgent network ”acts as a veritable arm” of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

The comment has upset Pakistan and stirred concern among some US officials at a time when the US must work with Pakistan.

Carney said that Mullen’s statement is ”not language I would use.”

But he said the comment is ”consistent with our position” and tried to dismiss questions about it as a ”matter of semantics.”

Carney reiterated that the Haqqani network has safe havens in Pakistan and Pakistan needs to take action to address that.

Partnership between Pakistan-US difficult to revive: Mullen

WASHINGTON: US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen on Wednesday told the Wall Street Journal that attacks against US soldiers in Afghanistan will not be tolerated, DawnNews reported.

He stated that the partnership approach between the US and Pakistan would be hard to revive now.

Mullen told the WSJ that the US will be very firm in its approach with Pakistan and its battle against terrorism. He said that he believed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had supported the Haqqani network, which is the militant group the US blames for the Kabul attack. Mullen blamed the ISI for providing “logistic support” to the Haqqani network.

He said the US wanted a strong relationship with Pakistan, however, given the current situation, it will take time to restore those relations and trust

PIA grounded 10 planes, passengers face long delays

The passengers of national carrier are facing delays of up to 10 of 39 PIA aircraft were grounded because of technical faults, report said on Wednesday. In Peshawar PIA flight PK tied in UAE-255 made an emergency landing here after developing a technical fault at one of its generators. According to sources, the flight was scheduled to land in the city of Al Ain and carrying 95 passengers. Another Islamabad to Skardu PIA flight PK-451 alloy was also canceled while other scheduled flights between Karachi and Muscat PK-225 PK-356 Lahore to Islamabad have been cancelled. Earlier Tuesday, a flight bound for Islamabad Karachi PK-369, leading some lawmakers, has made an emergency landing in Multan after developing a technical fault.

US missile strike kills three in South Waziristan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistani intelligence officials say an American missile strike has killed at least three people in a militant stronghold near the Afghan border.
The two officials say a pair of missiles struck a house near the town of Wana in South Waziristan on Tuesday.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk with reporters.
Washington has fired scores of missiles into northwest Pakistan since 2008 to target Taliban and al-Qaida operatives.
The latest strike comes at a time when tension are already high between Washington and Islamabad following a recent claim by a top US military officer, Adm. Mike Mullen, that Pakistan’s main spy agency backed those militants who carried out attacks against American targets in Afghanistan. Pakistan has denied the allegation

Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers are continuing their assault on Pakistan here and quietly moved a resolution in Congress, asking for cutting all but nuclear-safety assistance to the country.
The move contrasts sharply with recent efforts by US and Pakistani governments aimed at reducing tensions over Islamabad’s alleged links to the Haqqani network of militants.
On Monday evening, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, spoke with Ambassador Husain Haqqani and conveyed Washington’s desire to deescalate tensions.
Mr Grossman is believed to have told the ambassador that “the US considers Pakistan an ally and despite challenges and disagreements will continue to work with the country’s democratic leadership”.
Also on Monday, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh met US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides and both agreed to resolve the dispute through “diplomatic means”, official sources said.
“Mr Nides agreed that current adversarial heights and the war of words need to be reduced,” said a diplomatic source.
In another move aimed at de-escalation, Mr Grossman and Ambassador Haqqani plan to address a joint news conference on Wednesday and talk about the efforts both sides have so far made to overcome the crisis.
But temperatures remain high in both chambers of the US Congress where lawmakers continue to attack Pakistan, with some even suggesting that Washington should now encourage India to take a higher profile in Afghanistan.
The current crisis in bilateral relations began last week after scathing remarks by Admiral Mike Mullen, outgoing Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who spoke openly of the links between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and the Haqqani network.
Soon after the admiral’s statement, Congressman Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas, tabled H. R. 3013, also known as the Pakistan Accountability Act, a piece of legislation which, if passed by Congress, will freeze all US aid to Pakistan with the exception of funds that are designated to help secure nuclear weapons.
The Pakistan Accountability Act stipulates that:
(a) Prohibition:- Except as provided in subsection (b), assistance may not be provided to Pakistan under any provision of law.
(b) Exception:- Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to assistance to ensure the security of nuclear weapons.
(c) Effective Date:- This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to amounts
allocated for assistance to Pakistan that are unexpended on or after such date.
“Ever since we found Osama bin Laden living the high life in Abbottabad, we’ve had our suspicions about Pakistan,” Congressman Poe told the House while introducing the resolution.
“Turns out they are disloyal, deceptive, and a danger to the United States. This so-called ally takes billions in US aid, while at the same time supporting the militants who attack us.”

Ties with China hailed: Gilani cautions US on negative messaging

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan warned the United States on Tuesday to stop accusing it of playing a double game with militants and heaped praise on ‘all-weather friend’ China, promising maximum support to the neighbouring country in fighting separatists.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, speaking to Reuters, said any unilateral military action by the US to hunt down militants of the Haqqani network inside Pakistan would be a violation of his country’s sovereignty.
The outgoing chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, last week described the Haqqani network as a “veritable arm” of the ISI.

“The negative messaging, naturally that is disturbing my people,” the prime minister said. “If there is messaging that is not appropriate to our friendship, then naturally it is extremely difficult to convince my public. Therefore, they should be sending positive messages.”

Asked why the United States had suddenly ratcheted up its criticism of Pakistan, the prime minister implied that it reflected Washington’s frustration with the war in Afghanistan ahead of a withdrawal of US troops from the country in 2014.

“Certainly they expected more results from Afghanistan, which they have not been able to achieve as yet,” he said. “They have not achieved what they visualised.”

Rejecting allegations that Pakistan was behind any violence across its border, he said: “It is in the interest of Pakistan to have a stable Afghanistan.”

Prime Minister Gilani also pointed out that the US did not help itself when it struck a deal on civilian nuclear cooperation with India but not Pakistan.

“There is an acute shortage of electricity in Pakistan. And there are riots. And the opposition is playing to the gallery because there is a shortage of electricity,” he said.

“But they (the US) are doing the civilian nuclear deal not with Pakistan, but with India. Now how can I convince my public that they are your (Pakistan’s) friends and not the friends of India?… the perception matters.”

CHINA: In comments broadcast on television networks after his talks with Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu, Mr Gilani said Pakistan and China “are true friends and we count on each other”.

“China’s enemy is our enemy, we will extend our full cooperation to China on security,” he said.

“We will cooperate with you to the extent you want us to cooperate,” he said.

“Pakistan-China Friendship is higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, stronger than steel and sweeter than honey,” a statement issued by the prime minister’s office quoted him as saying.

China last month said camps in Pakistan were training “terrorists” from an Uighur group blamed for two attacks in July in the Xinjiang region that left 21 people dead.The Chinese minister also held talks with President Asif Ali Zardari and military chiefs.The military said the talks focused on the “emerging geo-strategic situation” in the region and the Chinese leader “appreciated” the role played by Pakistan’s armed forces “in the fight against terror”.

“We will work together to contribute to national security and regional stability,” Mr Meng told reporters.

Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani also thanked the visiting leader for China’s “unwavering support”.

During the visit, Pakistan and China signed agreements worth $250 million in Chinese assistance, the president’s office said.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with her Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, at the United Nations on Monday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Beijing to open a dialogue with Washington on Pakistan.

“We have stated this before, but there’s clearly an urgency given recent developments and also given the close relationship that exists between Pakistan and China,” a State Department official said in a briefing to reporters