Special Dispatch Series | No. 2643, 2644 | November 12, 2009
Urdu-Pashtu Media Project
*Special Dispatch No. 2643
Former Pakistani Ambassador: 'Washington's Ability to Secure Islamabad's Full Cooperation Will Rest on Credible Assurances That the New [Afghanistan] Strategy Will Not Have Destabilizing Effects on Pakistan'
In a recent article, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, the former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. and U.K., examined three areas of emerging challenges in Pakistan-U.S. relations: the issue of U.S. drone attacks in violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, a tilt in U.S. foreign policy in favor of India, and the stringent conditions in the U.S. aid to Pakistan.
In the article, titled "Testing times for Pakistan-U.S. Relations," Dr. Lodhi noted that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's three-day Pakistan visit, which began October 28, 2009, "came against the backdrop of public furor in the country [Pakistan] over the intrusive Congressional conditions imposed on the U.S. security assistance to Pakistan by the Kerry-Lugar legislation."
The Kerry-Lugar legislation, now the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, requires the administration of President Barack Obama to frequently certify to the U.S. Congress that the U.S. aid for Pakistan is achieving its objectives, including the Pakistani military's compliance with the elected civilian government in Islamabad.
To read the full dispatch, visit http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD264309.
*Special Dispatch No. 2644
Taliban Affairs Expert: 'Making President Karzai a Scapegoat for the Collective Western Failure in Afghanistan May Help Influence Public Opinion in Western Countries - But It Cannot Win Them a Decisive Military Victory Against the Taliban'
In a recent article, titled "Karzai after re-election," Rahimullah Yusufzai, a prominent journalist based in the Pakistani tribal region and a Taliban affairs expert, underlined the need for continuing the Western support to President Hamid Karzai in order to defeat Taliban in Afghanistan.
Noting that President Karzai has emerged "bruised and weaker" from the fraud-marred August 20 presidential election in Afghanistan, Yusufzai added that supporters of Dr. Abdullah, the challenger to Karzai, were also responsible for rigging the polls in the conflict-ridden country.
Warning that the Taliban are "enjoying the spectacle" of President Karzai and his Western backers' bickering over a way forward in Afghanistan, the prominent Pakistani journalist added that the Western countries too are responsible for the strengthening of corrupt warlords in Afghanistan.
To read the full dispatch, visit http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD264409.
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