US National Security Advisor James Jones meets Pakistan army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. James said “My trip was simply to underscore, at the request of the (US) President, that we take this particular relationship extremely seriously.”
WASHINGTON: US National Security Adviser James Jones has denied putting Pakistan on a notice to crack down on the Taliban during a recent trip to Islamabad.
“My trip was simply to underscore, at the request of the (US) President, that we take this particular relationship extremely seriously,” said the retired Marines general who visited Islamabad last week.
The US media reported on Wednesday that Mr Jones and CIA Director Leon Panetta, who visited Islamabad with Mr Jones, had told Pakistani leaders that they had only weeks to show ‘real progress’ in a crackdown against the Pakistani Taliban.
The two met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani during the visit which followed a failed attempt to blow up New York’s Times Square by a Pakistani-American with links to the Taliban.
Gen (retd) Jones, however, said that during his meetings with Pakistani leaders, he urged them to do their best to defeat terrorism.
The purpose of the visit was to assure the Pakistanis that “we’re very serious when we say we will make long-term commitments to Pakistan, to help the economy, to help the revitalisation of the infrastructure, to bring investment from not only our business community but international investment, to help the instruments of governance wherever possible”, Mr Jones told journalists at the Washington Foreign Press Centre.
“But we wanted to also impress upon our friends that it is essential that terrorism be defeated and that wherever there are the presence of terrorists of the perception of presence of terrorists that it’s in the interest of Pakistan to not only repudiate the existence of those kinds of organisations but also at the appropriate time to rid Pakistan of that presence,” said the US National Security Adviser.
“We offer friendship and assistance, cooperation in every way possible, in order to do that and in order to help bring a better future to Pakistan. So I want to state very clearly that this was a meeting among friends, one that we have regularly,” he said in response to a question.
He said the US had committed itself to a long-term strategy with regard to that part of the world, including Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, to try to bring a better life to the people of the region, to try to end terrorism in all shapes and forms directed against all different peoples.
“We have applauded the Pakistani efforts to date with regard to their renewed efforts that began last year, their success in the Swat valley, their success in South Waziristan. We have rejoiced in the trust and confidence that’s been built between our two militarises, the increased sharing of information and intelligence, the cooperation that we’ve received on law-enforcement issues, the very prompt response we got as a result of the Times Square incident,” he said.
Earlier, Pakistan’s ambassador Husain Haqqani also rejected suggestions that Gen Jones and Mr Panetta had visited Islamabad to set a deadline for a military action in North Waziristan.
“Did Gen Jones put any pressure on Pakistan? No, he did not,” said Mr Haqqani.
“It’s an ongoing process of dialogue. I was fully briefed (prior to the scheduled visit) what they intended to discuss there. I have been fully briefed after the discussions as well.”
The US media reported on Wednesday that Mr Jones and CIA Director Leon Panetta, who visited Islamabad with Mr Jones, had told Pakistani leaders that they had only weeks to show ‘real progress’ in a crackdown against the Pakistani Taliban.
The two met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani during the visit which followed a failed attempt to blow up New York’s Times Square by a Pakistani-American with links to the Taliban.
Gen (retd) Jones, however, said that during his meetings with Pakistani leaders, he urged them to do their best to defeat terrorism.
The purpose of the visit was to assure the Pakistanis that “we’re very serious when we say we will make long-term commitments to Pakistan, to help the economy, to help the revitalisation of the infrastructure, to bring investment from not only our business community but international investment, to help the instruments of governance wherever possible”, Mr Jones told journalists at the Washington Foreign Press Centre.
“But we wanted to also impress upon our friends that it is essential that terrorism be defeated and that wherever there are the presence of terrorists of the perception of presence of terrorists that it’s in the interest of Pakistan to not only repudiate the existence of those kinds of organisations but also at the appropriate time to rid Pakistan of that presence,” said the US National Security Adviser.
“We offer friendship and assistance, cooperation in every way possible, in order to do that and in order to help bring a better future to Pakistan. So I want to state very clearly that this was a meeting among friends, one that we have regularly,” he said in response to a question.
He said the US had committed itself to a long-term strategy with regard to that part of the world, including Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, to try to bring a better life to the people of the region, to try to end terrorism in all shapes and forms directed against all different peoples.
“We have applauded the Pakistani efforts to date with regard to their renewed efforts that began last year, their success in the Swat valley, their success in South Waziristan. We have rejoiced in the trust and confidence that’s been built between our two militarises, the increased sharing of information and intelligence, the cooperation that we’ve received on law-enforcement issues, the very prompt response we got as a result of the Times Square incident,” he said.
Earlier, Pakistan’s ambassador Husain Haqqani also rejected suggestions that Gen Jones and Mr Panetta had visited Islamabad to set a deadline for a military action in North Waziristan.
“Did Gen Jones put any pressure on Pakistan? No, he did not,” said Mr Haqqani.
“It’s an ongoing process of dialogue. I was fully briefed (prior to the scheduled visit) what they intended to discuss there. I have been fully briefed after the discussions as well.”
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