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U.S. Must Choose Between Afghanistan or Pakistan: Spanta
[Tolo News] The U.S. must choose between having Afghanistan or Pakistain as a strategic partner before Kabul is willing to sign the Bilateral Security Agrement (BSA), Afghan National Security Advisor Dr. Rangeen Dadfar Spanta said on Thursday.
Can we choose Costa Rica?
Mauritania?
The way things are going with this administration, it'll be Iran.
Don't be absurd. Dr. Spanta. We are America, the former, and perhaps future, hegemon. Just as we are allied with both India and Pakistan, we can be allied with Afghanistan as well... and perhaps equally effectively.
Dr. Spanta emphasized that the U.S. knows Pakistain is the main "obstacle" to the Afghan government's peace talks with the Taliban, yet refuses to acknowledge it.

"The United States is trying to tell the world and the people of Afghanistan that both the wolf and the sheep are their strategic friends," Dr. Spanta said. "Afghanistan's Southern and Eastern borders have been under attack for years, and those who are under attack are our women and kiddies."

This week, reports were made in Kunar and Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
 provinces of increased rocket attacks originating from across the border in Pakistain. There have been a number of heated confrontations over the years between Afghan and Pak border outfits, but no resolution to the skirmishes has been found.

Although relations between Kabul and Islamabad seemed to be improving in the fall of 2013, with Pakistain participating in a number of bilateral discussions with the Afghan government about getting Taliban peace talks on track, Dr. Spanta's comments on Thursday made it clear that tensions were still high.

"One of the preconditions for signing the BSA is for the U.S. to choose a strategic partnership with one of the two," Dr. Spanta said regarding Afghanistan and Pakistain.
Posted by: Fred 2014-01-31
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=384666