Frustrated at Pakistan’s denial to reopen Nato supplies, US President Barack Obama has avoided an intended meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari on sidelines of Summit on Afghanistan here.
Pakistan had sought an unconditional apology and immediate release of stuck-up coalition support fund (CFS) to reopen Nato supplies blocked after unprovoked Salala attack that had killed score of Pakistani troops. Besides congressional blockades to release of funds to Pakistan, Obama Administration considers tendering an apology could cost in the coming US election.
Thus President Obama and his Pakistani counterparts staying is at loggerheads have marred the success of the Nato Summit that also surfaced conflicting views within the alliance on the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan.
According to the New York Times, a deal to reopen the supply lines fell apart as Obama began talks on ending the NATO alliance’s combat role in Afghanistan in 2013, a year earlier than the announced withdrawal schedule of 2014.
As a two-day NATO summit meeting opened in Chicago, Obama remained at loggerheads with Zardari, refusing even to meet him without a deal on the supply routes, which officials in both sides acknowledged would not be coming soon, it said.
But White House Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said that President Obama could not meet Zardari as he had a “full slate of summit meetings to attend.”
“The two bilateral meetings really, that he did, are President (Hamid) Karzai for obvious reasons given the focus on Afghanistan here, and the Secretary General of NATO given that it’s traditional for the host to make sure that we’re aligned with the Secretary General heading to the summit.
“But we don’t anticipate any other bilateral meetings so we didn’t draw that linkage. We’re going to continue to work through the issue with the Pakistanis,” he said.
Zardari did, however, meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss the supply routes.
According to the daily, the failure to strike a deal on the supply routes ahead of the summit injects new tension into the relationship.
“When Nato extended the invitation, we thought it would move the Pakistanis off the dime,” a senior American official was quoted as saying.
Without the deal, “it’s going to be really uncomfortable” for Zardari at the summit, which runs through Monday, the official told The New York Times.
But President Obama refused to meet his Pakistani counterpart, with one US official telling The Times: “Patience with Pakistan is wearing thin, not just in the US but also in the Nato alliance.”
The official added that they were still expecting the “log jam of Nato convoys in Pakistan after this weekend”, forcing the US to use alternative routes – namely through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
After weeks of closed-door negotiations with Zardari’s government, US officials did not deny that they are seeking to send the Pakistanis a public message, The Los Angeles Times said.
“If they’re feeling a little bit of pressure this weekend, they should,” a US official was quoted as saying.
“The US and Natoare ready to move beyond this issue,” the Los Angeles Times said, according to which US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is planning to meet with officials from five Central Asian countries that have provided an alternative, but considerably more expensive, northern land route for Nato supplies since Pakistan closed its roads after a cross border air raid killed 24 of its soldiers in November.
The Wall Street Journal said Zardari was invited to attend the summit at the last minute in hopes that would lead to a deal, but the two sides remain at odds over how much the US and its allies should pay Pakistan per container.
According to US officials, Pakistan has proposed raising transit fees per container by as much as 3,000 per cent, or 30-fold, a demand that Washington and its allies have rejected as excessive, the daily reported.
A senior US official said the pressure was meant to make Zardari “feel uncomfortable,” The Journal said.
Pakistan needs to look to move out of the USA relationship to diplomat ties only; opening up of NATO supplies or the continuation of drone acts; will only kill innocent Pakistani people. Let’s just say NO to the involvement of Pakistan in the Afghan War; return the Afghan refugees back to Afghan (since it is there problem not ours) and get a commitment from all groups including the Taliban to stop killing their own people. We need a decade of peace to grow (better ties with Indian and China) and develop. We need to do this on our own two feet. USA and European countries will always see Pakistan as second class citizens, and will never see us equals around the negotiation table
A slap in the face of Zardari. Now wait to see the govt, making loud noise about his 'stand' for the sovereignty and the 'success' of this his visit. I doubt if there was any other motive in the invitation than heaping this insult on him.
It is result of continuous support to certain terrorist groups of Afghanistan by our army, but civilian leadership has to bear the brunt of whatever our armies do. It is no point in being happy. It is not a slap in Zardari's face: it is a slap in Pakistan's face including you. Beready to bear wrath of the world for sponsoring terrorism. Of course, political rulers pay the price for doings of an unruly security appratus.
It's not about the money, money, money,
We don't need your money, money, money.
We just wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag 😉
It's not about the money, money, money,
We don't need your money, money, money.
We just wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag 😉
Good move, there is a thin line difference between courage and conwardice. I think It is the first itme Zardari made a courageous decision not to kneel before USA. Dear all though we are not able to fight with USA or NARO forces but can stand in our own eyes that we had not deceived the spirits of Martyers. In lilfe hard and soft days come and go. There is no question of defeat and conqure, the question is of dignity and a life without dignity is not a life but worse than hell. Dear Pakistanies what so ever life we people are living with out electricity, gas and highest prices of eatables. there would be little raise or the death which will solve all the problems. Aah How sweet is death especially which take us to our RAB. Who is kindest
HAHA…… People wha can not withstand loadshedding, or live without a pay raise do not deserve dignity. Neither its Iraq/ Iran nor we r Iranis or Afghanis
A nation with her head in the sand! ruled recklessly by a bunch of petty marauders who
have no iota of character that one could be proud of ! From the first blunder committed
by one military dictator allowing the Americans to establish their Spy Communication base in 1959. Followed by another dictator who through his bigoted Islamic ideas let the nation on the false notion of saving Islam from the Soviets on behest of Neocons!
When the fourth dictator placed the crown on his brim and talked of moderation, many thought he will bring radical changes in the political structure. Instead he handed the sovereignty to his zionist mentors. His civilian elected successor is far more interested
in saving his ill-gotten assets abroad. Zardari certainly does want to land next to former President of Panama in Florida;)
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