Rice: U.S. Will Work With Pakistan

(CBS)  The United States will do everything it can to capture high-value targets in Pakistan, but it will not act independently of Pakistan's government, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday on Face The Nation.

Pakistan used to be a main backer of the Taliban, but threw its support behind Washington following the Sept. 11 attacks. Pakistan has since deployed about 90,000 soldiers in its tribal regions to fight remnants of the Taliban and al Qaeda, who are believed to be hiding there.

But a recent surge in violence and a resurgence of radical Islamic groups has threatened the government of Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, and the reconstruction of neighboring Afghanistan.

The surge in violence followed tribal leaders' withdrawal from a 2006 peace deal with the government, and amid widespread anger at an army raid of Islamabad's radical Red Mosque last month that left at least 102 people dead.

"We have a cooperative arrangement with Pakistan; Pakistan is an ally in the war on terror," Rice said. "The idea that somehow we have a greater interest in the capture and kill of high-value targets who are threatening Pakistan itself, as was shown by the extremist who brought about all that trouble at the Red Mosque, who are bringing about trouble in the frontier areas, I think is just not right."

Earlier in the week, Sen. Barack Obama, one of the Democrats campaigning for the White House, said that, if elected, he might order unilateral military strikes in Pakistan against al Qaeda. Rice said she did not want to respond to Obama's remarks but wanted to say what the U.S. policy was.

"Yes, Musharraf has constraints, but we believe that the future with Pakistan is to be very active in that region," Rice said. "Of course we are going to go after targets and after extremists, but so are the Pakistanis because they have a lot at risk, too."

But Rice did say that Pakistan needed to do more to secure the tribal areas along its border with Afghanistan.

"I think there's no doubt that things have changed in terms of even Pakistani perception of what needs to be done in the frontier areas, and that's why the Pakistani army has been much more active there," Rice said.

Rice, who is meeting Sunday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at Camp David, said military force alone could not bring stability to either country.

"We continue to believe that it's important to have reconstruction assistance in that region to try to deal with hearts and minds of the people who right now may be too close to, or may be turning a blind eye even to terrorism," she said.

[realpatriot1]

Dargay,

I admit that I don't know how strong AQ elements can become as a domestic force in Pakastan but I also know that Pakastan has not been able to root them out. I'm not blaming Pakastan for that, I'm just stating fact.

With all due respect, my country hasn't threatened yours, we've threatened those bozos. We've indicated that we would not act upon intelligence without allowing Pakastan to resolve the problem.

You say that we don't know how to defeat terrorism. We did remove the Taliban from power. How would you propose to fight terrorism?

I've indicated to you twice previously that a joint effort to root AQ out of your country would benefit us all and rather than respond to that suggestion you call my country stupid and say that we don't appreciate what Pakastan has done. You claim that our bloodlust is inexhaustible.

We didn't ask to be attacked. If our leadership knows where AQ is should we do nothing until we are attacked again? What then? We have no choice but to root AQ and the Taliban outand would prefer to do it together.


Think for a moment how angry the mere mention of violence on your soil makes you. How do you think we feel about continually being threatened by these people who have attacked us over and over again. If you want us to appreciate you then appreciate us.

We don't like being called warmongers for trying to protect our children.

[dargay]

realpatriot1:

Your stupid country doesnt know how to fight terrorism and we dont want Americans to bring their "brute force" approach to Pakistan.

The idea that Alqaida will gain "control" over Pakistan is laughable. Those bozos cant even show their faces in public, you talk about control.

The US can share intelligence, provide funding and equipment. If you cant do that, then SHUT UP. We dont want your threats, allegations and blame-shifting.

[realpatriot1]

Dargay,

Explain to me how you think I've threatened Pakastan.

I'm asking for the U.S., Pakastan, & Afghanistan to operate cooperatively in a joint alliance against Al Quaeda.

We would like to help Pakastan gain control over the northern regions before l Quaeda gains any more power and becomes a greater threat to the rest of Pakastan.

I appreciate the efforts that Pakastan has made but I do think more can and must be done by Pakastan and the U.S.

What I'm saying and what Obama is saying may be perceived as a threat but it's actually an attempt to get more serious about the problem before we are forced to take an action that we don't want to take.

I think if our 2 countries work together that we can deal with the pproblem in a manner that will be to the long-term benefit of both nations and will avoid what neither of us wants to happen.

[dargay]

realpatriot1:

Dont threaten us OK? we dont like threats. Dont pretend the last six years of helping America's didnt happen either.

Your American bloodlust is inexhaustible.

[thebluesands]

people who have a home of glass doesnot through stones to others.
i think you u totally oblivious of american history what you have dont to "Native americans,
killing innocent japneses in world war 2 by using nukes,
rapping innocent innumerable vietnamese women ,
killing over 300,000 iraqis n doing such a noble work in Abu - alghuraib jails.
n yes, dont you remember killings of innumerable palestinians by providing israel with nukes.
wash your clothes of all this blood n then say somethings aobut others.

[realpatriot1]

Dargay,

The other day you said that if Pakastan was presented with actionable intelligence they would act upon it. If that's so than Obama wouldn't need to bomb anyone.

The media reported a few days before Obama spoke that the White House was debating taking action, do you suppose they would be having such a debate if there were no actioanble intelligence.

I would prefer that Pakstan act like an allie and that the U.S. and Pakastan conduct joint operations in the areas which Pakastan can't control and which the Taliban & AQ are using to attack across the border into Afghanistan. That would make all this discussion moot.

What do you suppose will ultimately happen to Pakstan if AQ becomes stronger and they lose control of their country to a resurgent AQ which already has effective control in these areas?

Rice is an idiot to take action off the table if Pakastan doesn't act.

[dargay]

Obama the idiot was trying to act tough. So he will bomb Pakistan, if that doesnt work then what? Obama didnt think it through.

Americans need another warmonger like Obama like they need a hole in the head.

[infidel_us]

Just send Obama Osama over. He'll have tea and talk to our enemies, and he'll nuke our allies. Sounds "presidential" to me. LOL

[forthepeopl1]

MAYBE WE THE PEOPLE SHOULD START THE THIRD WAR. MAYBE THAN OUR GOVERNEMNT WOULD LISTEN TO AMERICANS.....

REVOLUTION IS NEEDED RIGT NOW

[forthepeopl1]

we need not to be in iraq,iran,or any were in the middleeast.

to the president of the united states of america. you are not a dictator, no ones is listen to all the lies anymore. any true american in this country is gearing up to have you and your crime buddies taken out by force.

you have to be stoped!!!! as i am a vet. i only wish was i was still in so i could make sure no more of my brothers and sisters get murdered by you and cheney,rumsfeld,rove,and so on.


so keep it up you chimp

nobodys listen to you asap. like i ask yesterday were have you served?? go ahead bigboy go and sign up? whimp,coward,pussie,chimp,like your fathers bush,cheney,rove,rumsfeld,and your mother connie

WHAT NOW AMERICA??? NOW BUSH/CHENEY/GONZO CAN LISTEN TO ALL OF US...............WHAT NEXT

WHY DO WE LET HER DO ANYTHING.....

SHE IS A PIG,AND AGAINST AMERICANS......JUST LIKE HER BOSS,CHENEY,BUSH,ROVE