US House Foreign Affairs Committee member Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), who launched a Congressional resolution calling for self-determination for Balochistan, has denied that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was behind the resolution.
“The purpose of the resolution was to create a much-needed dialogue about Pakistan and Balochistan, and that’s what it’s done, so that’s very nice,” he said in an interview with “The Cable”.
“It’s important to get over that phase where people are going ballistic and start getting serious discussion about an issue that’s been ignored but shouldn’t be ignored.”
According to the US magazine interview, Rohrabacher said the Balochistan issue and the human rights violations there have been ignored in Washington out of a fear of offending the Pakistani establishment, but that strategy isn’t working.
“It’s one of those issues that’s been ignored as to not upset the Pakistanis because they are fragile friends,” he said. “Well, they’re not fragile friends, they are hard-core, two-faced enemies of the United States.”
In fact, the discovery that Osama bin Laden was hiding for years in the Pakistani military town of Abbottabad was direct motivation for his Balochistan initiative, he said during the interview.
“What made me really determined to get involved to the point where I was willing to author resolutions like this was when Osama bin Laden was discovered in an area which made it clear that Pakistanis had for eight years taken billions in U.S. foreign aid while giving safe haven to the monster that slaughtered 3,000 Americans on 9/11,” he said. “At that point I felt, no more walking on egg shells around Pakistan.”
“I can see why the prime minister of Pakistan wouldn’t fully understand why people in various countries — especially elected officials — are free to comment on any policies they see fit in any country they see fit,” Rohrabacher said. “That’s what freedom is all about, but perhaps that’s why they don’t understand it.”
To a question, Rohrabacher denied he introduced the resolution on the behest of CIA to pressurize Pakistan.
“Anyone who believes that is totally out of touch with reality,” Rohrabacher responded. “I’ve had no discussions with anyone in the CIA about this whatsoever and my guess is that if I did, they would be doing somersaults trying to prevent me from doing this.”
In fact, he didn’t even bother to confer with the Obama administration about the resolution at all, he said, and has not heard from any administration officials.
“It was my resolution and not theirs,” he said of the administration. “Unlike our friends in Pakistan, they understand that in a democracy people elected to the legislative branch have the right to propose any legislation they want. I can see why the Pakistani government wouldn’t understand that.”
Rohrabacher compared the struggle of the people of Balochistan to the struggle of the American colonies against the British Empire. “Like in the United States, where we gave a declaration of independence, we have a right to a country separate from Great Britain. That’s what self-determination is,” he said.
Beyond Balochistan, Rohrabacher’s top priority is preventing Pakistan from influencing the Afghanistan reconciliation talks to the benefit of the Taliban. He promises to fight giving US aid to Pakistan if that’s the case.
“The most important thing now is not to permit Pakistan to think they can do anything they want and there will never be any repercussions and they can side with any enemy of the West and still think we’re going to pour money into their pockets,” he said. “That ain’t gonna happen.”
nice comment;
rotten as it comes the Abbotabad incident. who did it? why don't the Americans ask Musharraf when he comes to Washington? it was his period when all this happened and the entire U.S. government backed him. even now he is living in the West and being protected. it is not the people of Pakistan but the decision-makers safely esconced in the West along with their $s stolen from the peoples of the U.S. and Pakistan.
Don’t believe anything until it is denied by a government official.
kill the infedels allahu akbar
thats a terrible thing to say .Its never right to take a life ,or promote the taking of one . I would never condone hatred ,its against Gods command "thou shalt not kill" .Its easy to kill and does not resolve anything .I can only hope you face God as not a Sinner .
A stable and prosperous Pakistan is an eye-sore to enemies of Pakistan. over the years USA has followed his own world Agenda. US House Foreign Affairs Committee member Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), is not aware of the ground realities. She has never travelled to Pakistan, has no Pakistani acquaiantance. The Resolution she has moved is a piece of idiocity. Pakistani as a nation are very informed. Perhaps its one the most politicized and enlightened nations of the world. She should also make some resolution that why America has made strategic nuclear partnership with India which allows erection of nuclear power plant but cunning member is not ready to touch this topic in the interest of Pakistan in this regard for the simple reason that this energy starved Pakistan nation may not stand on its own feet. A prosperous, stable Pakistan is not in the scheme of things of people likeDana Rohrabacher which each and every Pakistani has learned by heart whether he is a Balochi speaking, Punjabi speaking, Pashtu Speaking, Sindhi speaking or Kashmiri speaking. Each and every Pakistani reiterate this message in their heart of heart that people like Dana Rohrabacher are but stooges playing in the hands of someone and are not friends of Pakistanis.
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