Clinton could drop by to attempt to end stalemate

The Obama administration could send its Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan soon to end the stalemate in relations with Islamabad over the reopening of NATO supply lines, which is facing a delay owing to Washington’s refusal to tender a public apology over November airstrikes on two Pakistani border posts that killed 24 soldiers.
Clinton, who reached India on Sunday for a three-day visit, could also undertake a surprise visit to Islamabad from New Delhi in a bid to impress upon Pakistan to reopen the NATO supplies before the NATO Summit in Chicago later this month.
However, diplomatic sources said in case Clinton didn’t come to Islamabad, the US administration could once again seek the use of “good offices” by the influential Democratic Senator John Kerry for the reopening of NATO supplies and ironing out of differences with Islamabad over other contentious issues such as drone attacks.
“Senator Kerry, if he comes to Islamabad in place of Secretary Clinton, could meet the relatives of 24 Pakistani soldiers killed by NATO aircraft in the Salala attack and he could also go to the site of that assault in November last year in Mohmand Agency,” said a source, seeking anonymity.
“In his meetings with Pakistani soldiers’ relatives and during his visit to Mohmand Agency, Senator Kerry would offer his condolences and regret the NATO airstrikes to fulfill the Pakistan’s demand for public apology from US over the Salala incident,” he said.
However, he said that no agreement had yet been made on the words of apology as well as on who would do that from Washington and currently both Islamabad and Washington were working silently to reach some understanding on the vital issue.
A Pakistani government official, who sought anonymity, said the Obama administration could send Secretary of State Clinton or Senator Kerry after the failed talks between US Special Envoy Marc Grossman and the Pakistani leadership last month.
Those talks remained inconclusive over the US refusal to come up with an apology over Salala incident and also a drone strike by CIA in North Waziristan after a lull of over a month coinciding with the visit of ambassador Grossman to Pakistan, he said. He added that the US would also try to reach some understanding with Pakistan over the future drone strikes in the Tribal Areas during the visit of Clinton or Senator Kerry to Islamabad.
Moreover, he said the US administration would also try to persuade Pakistan to attend the NATO Summit in Chicago, which was scheduled for May 20-21.