Hillary Clinton began Sunday his second visit to Pakistan in nine months, hoping to convince this crucial ally against the Islamists that the United States is committed to long-term regional, and to demand new efforts in countering terrorism.
“We still ask for additional measures and expect the Pakistanis they take them,” said Secretary of State in an interview with the BBC.
Clinton noted that Washington and Islamabad had “increased cooperation in combating terrorism.
But “there is no doubt in anyone’s mind, that if (the track) the origin of an attack against the United States went back to Pakistan, it would have a devastating impact on our relationship,” she warned.
The failed attack on Times Square in New York in May, which has been accused Pakistani Faisal Shahzad, was claimed by the group of Taliban Pakistan Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP).
The chief U.S. diplomat, came to Islamabad a few days before the donor conference in Kabul is to announce a series of plans to develop water and energy, two areas affected in the impoverished and unstable 162 million.
The entourage of Mrs. Clinton praised the visit in early enlargement and improvement of bilateral relationship long characterized by mutual distrust.
Pakistani side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday welcomed a visit that “will help to give more impetus” to this relationship.
Mrs. Clinton met on Sunday evening the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari. She must participate Monday in a session of “strategic dialogue” between Washington and Islamabad.
“Speeding” strategic dialogue “is a change in the attitude of Pakistan, first from the government and, more gradually and slowly, in the opinion,” Richard Holbrooke said on Sunday, the effluent U.S. to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
These developments, he added, “we can move on counterterrorism and joint work in the tribal areas” sanctuaries of al-Qaeda and Taliban who harass many international forces in Afghanistan.
Hillary Clinton stressed that there was a link between all these groups, and called on Pakistan to make no distinctions between them.
A senior U.S. official, the discussions allowed “Progress slow but tangible” in the case of the Taliban Haqqani network, a thorn in the coalition, but considered close to the Pakistani intelligence.
The trip by Secretary of State follows its previous highly publicized visit in October 2009 and the first “strategic dialogue” between the two countries in March in Washington.
U.S. investment in Pakistan stem from the Kerry-Lugar Act, passed last fall, and which provides assistance to countries record 7.5 billion dollars over five years.
Analysts said both Afghanistan and Pakistan are concerned, however, the maturity of an early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011, which was set last December by U.S. President Barack Obama .
