Pakistani President: "It's Our War"

CBS Evening News Exclusive: Asif Ali Zardari Explains Why He Opposes U.S. Strikes On Tribal Regions

(CBS)  Pakistan accused the U.S. this week of violating international law by launching missile strikes into its northwest tribal region. There have been about two dozen attacks since August - all carried out by unmanned drones targeting al Qaeda and the Taliban. It is a sore subject between two close allies in the war on terror. And it was the first thing CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan brought up when she spoke exclusively with Pakistan's new president, Asif Ali Zardari.

Lara Logan: There's been a dramatic escalation in the number of U.S. predator strikes on Pakistani soil. Are these strikes achieving anything?

President Asif Ali Zardari: Well, obviously the people who are using the strikes are confident that they're doing something. Otherwise they wouldn't be at it. At the same time ... it's undermining my sovereignty and it's not helping win the war on the hearts and minds of people.

Logan: If you're losing the people and the strikes are undermining your credibility - why allow them?

Zardari: They do not happen with our knowledge. If there was now the technology that would tell me that their drone is coming in …

Logan: But that technology would be the U.S. informing you because it's your country.

Zardari: The U.S. yeah, of course, that would be a welcome step to inform us also.

Many believe the Pakistani government does know, but can't say so publicly because the strikes are so unpopular. Zardari told CBS News his official policy is that they'd rather have the capability to do it themselves.

Zardari: So that is ever the challenge for this new administration, will be to allow us to have the capability of doing more. We want to do more. It's our war.

But not all Pakistanis see it that way, and if Predator strikes are unpopular, ground raids by U.S. forces are even more unwelcome.

Zardari: Anybody who needs to come to Pakistan needs to have a passport and a visa. So whether it's ground forces or air forces they need a visa and if they don't have a visa they're not allowed.

The problem for President Zardari, who has only been in power for two months, is that he presides over a country which is believed to house more known terrorists than anywhere else in the world, operating mostly from the lawless tribal areas.

Logan: It's widely agreed today that if there's another 9/11 attack ... a big terrorist attack like that, its most likely going to be planned in the tribal areas or planned already. What can you do to assure American people about what you're doing?

Zardari: Well I can assure the American people that nothing like that is going to happen in my watch.

Logan: Do you believe that's a danger?

Zardari: I believe there's always a danger of them. I didn't know that they'd be successful in getting my wife. We thought we'd protect her but we couldn't. But to say we'd allow it to happen. No.

[nowarforzion]

Lara Logan is a lost cause as she has allowed herself to become a neocon conduit:

NEOCONZIONISTTHREAT.COM

[erich_1-2009]

Drmaqazi, & IslamicPolit,

"Well, win it then or get out of the way and let us win it. We can''''t leave until your country ia at peace and not trying to kill us."

Unreal!

[toolmangler-2009]

Pakistani President: "It''s Our War"




Well, win it then or get out of the way and let us win it. We can''t leave until your country ia at peace and not trying to kill us.

[erich_1-2009]

Posted by IslamicPolit at 09:44 PM : Nov 15, 2008

One could argue that there may have been historical justification for both wars in Iraq. The history of Hussein trying to take over Iran, and Kuwait. The slaughter of his own people. The request of the Kurds. Nuclear supplies with the clear intention of restarting his nuclear program. If you are Muslim one can understand that Hussein''s intentions have been against other peaceful Islamic nations of the area, not just Israel.

Pakistan is a completely different idea. It''s more of a complicated issue to send troops into a country that has been peaceful, and your ally simply to bring one man to justice that is hiding in a cave. The whole idea is politics of irrationalism.

Understand that this is coming from a Conservative Christian''s viewpoint. I don''t get it.

[islamicpolit]

http://islamicpolitik.com/2008/11/obama-and-the-undeclared-war-on-pakistan.html

When Bush and Blair wanted to send ground troops into Iraq, invade Iraqi airspace and drop bombs on its people, there was a need for creating %u201Cdossiers%u201D of evidence. We were shown little vials of biological weapons, photographs of weapons factories, etc. Colin Powell had to run around garnering the support of various nations to form a %u201Ccoalition of the willing%u201D. By contrast, the war in Pakistan has been politically engineered such that there has been no need for such frivolity. Make no mistake: there is a war in Pakistan. Certainly Britain would consider it an act of war if France decided to send reconnaissance drones over its borders, or order airstrikes, or send in Special Ops forces to kill people, or have tanks entering the country and destroying a town. These actions have been taking place with impunity in Pakistan, without the need for a fancy UN resolution. Obama shows every sign of using the War on Terror as a basis for destroying another Muslim country.

[erich_1-2009]

The declaration of war against the American people known as the Edict of 9/11. And the corollary Declaration of Response to Attack by the American People, known as "To the Gates of Hell," by Whatever Route, and that includes Pakistan. What will be, will be. Tell your friends to get on board or get out of the way.

...and they talk about Bush being a moron!? How stupid can one get?

[erich_1-2009]

drmaqazi at 10:28 AM : Nov 15, 2008

Could you show me any Post here that is against or even mentions Islam?
Islam has nothing to do with this article. What the article is talking about is the President of Pakistan not wanting U.S. involvement in their country.
The President of Pakistan is correct! For U.S. to enter Pakistan, especially with troops, is a violation of International Law. The Democrats idea has no support from the United Nations, Pakistan, Afghanistan, or any other nation in the area.

Drmaqazi,

Senator Reid, Kerry, and President Elect Obama have talked about bringing troops into Pakistan without Pakistan''s approval. There were plenty of persecuted Muslims, like the Kurds, that asked for U.S. involvement in Iraq. In Bush Sr. Iraq invaded Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia were together with the U.S. against Iraq. Islam is better for not having Hussein around.

The point is that the plan of bringing troops into Pakistan could pass the Senate right now with President Obama, Majority Leader Senator Reid, and Senator Kerry all pushing for it! Especially, with the Democrats being able to stop a filibuster.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by autumn987 at 03:11 PM : Nov 15, 2008



Its all about you, isn''t it?
"All the world''s insane but thee and me, and sometimes I wonder about thee......"

[erich_1-2009]

I actually read an article today written by Maoist Communist that we agreeing with my point of view about the Democrats wanting troops in Pakistan.

Folks, maybe I have gone so far Right that I am siding with the far Left...great...

[erich_1-2009]

menmotoscutr,

I know that President Elect Obama was a community organizer in Chicago. That his mentor, Saul Alinsky, was a member to the Moscow controlled Communist Society of the 60''s known as the SDS, Students for a Democratic Society. I also know that his terrorist FRIEND, William Alinsky, was a member of the SDS.

From my point of view I see the Socialistic Messiah as a false Messiah. I do not think he is a man of peace. I also think that the Democrat''s plan is nuts.

No, Mr. Zardari, the United States of America is not, like you, conducting "the war on the hearts and minds of people." Our war, and it is our war, since the skulking assassins of OBL declared America as its target of choice, is on murdering thugs who wish to hijack the hearts and minds of people. In that respect our war is FOR the hearts and minds of people, not ON them.

erich_1, whatever gave you the notion that Obama is a man of peace? He was a community organizer, a position that stirs up people, challenges the existing order, creates chaos where there used to exist the order and tranquility of the plantation, and excites the populace to take charge of their lives and stimulate government to work rather than slumber ineffectively. He is no more a man of peace than Jesus Christ was a man of peace. While he, like Christ, is a man who does not believe in indiscriminate killing to achieve some "greater good," he, nevertheless, vows to chase the killers out of their lairs, wherever those might be, as Christ chased the money lenders from the temple. With anger and force and righteousness. What justifies this? The declaration of war against the American people known as the Edict of 9/11. And the corollary Declaration of Response to Attack by the American People, known as "To the Gates of Hell," by Whatever Route, and that includes Pakistan. What will be, will be. Tell your friends to get on board or get out of the way.

[erich_1-2009]

...America has failed to neutralize the terrorist safe haven in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Democrats believe we should redeploy our troops from Iraq in order to relieve the strain on our overburdened military and strengthen our national security.

From Senator Reid Democrats.Senate.gov

Calling for a redeployment of troops to Pakistan, against the Pakistan nation''s wishes!

[erich_1-2009]

I''m not talking just about President Elect Obama''s comments a year ago about Pakistan. I am talking about the Democrats stating idea of going with troops into Pakistan for years!

I don''t get it!

[erich_1-2009]

Again I ask for a Democrat to explain, or show that I am wrong in this posts or my others:

Ok, I have read all of these comments and I still have not read a justification from anyone regarding the Democrat''''s ideas on Pakistan.

The Democrat''''s have wanted for years to send troops to get Osama Bin Laden going through the nation of Pakistan. So, you escalate the war to get Osama Bin Laden who is Afghanistan, going through the nation of Pakistan that has not given us permission to go through it''''s nation.

Like I said below, whether you Democrats like it or not President Bush received almost 80 votes from Senators giving him approval to use military force in Iraq. Totally approved! Nobody likes war, but that was different, he even went to the U.N. Security Council.

You have voted for a man because you think he represents peace. You are badly mistaken! You have been fooled! Show me anything that justifies the action proposed by the Democrats.

[erich_1-2009]

Don''t pity me.
Explain to me where I have misstated the Truth in the Posts I have said below.
Ignorance is exposed by education and knowledge.
Show me where I am wrong, don''t just say I am blind because I choose to be.
Show by giving Truthful Facts.

Feeling doesn''t make it. I didn''t vote from feeling, or that a guy has a pretty voice between two Greek Columns. A voice from a teleprompter doesn''t impress me.

Show me the facts!

[erich_1-2009]

So, let''s review this.

You peaceniks voted for President Elect Obama to quickly get the troops out of Iraq.
During his campaign he once said he would do that immediately.
He is now saying that he will listen to the Generals and try to get the troops out in 10 months.

President Elect Obama stated a year ago that we may have to put troops in Pakistan to catch Bin Laden in Afghanistan. Pakistan has always stated that they are against us allowing troops there.

There is also an indication of President Elect Obama supportive of Prime Minister Odinga in Kenya, and looking at the surrounding countries may involve us in a war there.

You voted for a man of peace, but I don''t see it!

[erich_1-2009]

That''s what I thought...just a stupid idea by the Democrats that can''t be implemented.

[niceface19]

The drones maker is Bush''s company, they need to shoot at least 100 targets a day to keep their banks account full,
people are not dumb, they know every thing their corrupted government do.

[niceface19]

they strike the wrong target, the real one is in Crawford, Texas, you dumbo.