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Pak mullahs squeal like piggies over Nancy Powell's remarks..
Pakistani Islamic leaders demanded Friday that U.S. Ambassador Nancy Powell be expelled after she said Pakistan must keep militants from infiltrating India-ruled Kashmir. Pakistan officials also objected, but said she wouldn't be asked to leave. The Foreign Ministry did summon her, underscoring the sensitivity over perceived U.S. slights to a key ally in the U.S.-led global campaign against terrorism. Oh, the pain! Make it stop! Islamic leaders of a coalition of religious parties that govern strategic Pakistani provinces bordering Afghanistan expressed outrage at the envoy's remarks. "(The) American ambassador has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of Pakistan, and she must be asked by Pakistan government to leave,'' said Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, secretary general of a pro-Taliban Islamic group, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. Haideri said Powell's statement shows "America is not our friend.'' I think what Nancy was saying is that Pakistan isn't America's friend. I mean, we've tried. We've been understanding. We've been patient. They've been loons... Powell made her remarks Thursday in a speech to an American Business Council luncheon in Karachi. ``Pakistan must ensure its pledges are implemented to prevent infiltration across the Line of Control and end the use of Pakistan as a platform for terrorism,'' Powell said, according to a transcript handed to reporters by U.S. officials. Sounds reasonable to me. That's what they said they were gonna do, after all... State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington that Powell was echoing remarks by Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in January 2002 when he said that Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used for any terrorist activity anywhere in the world. ``And that has been a pledge that we've taken seriously and something we've continue to work with Pakistan on.'' And we're going to call them on it when they ignore that pledge... Powell is a career diplomat who arrived in Pakistan a few months ago. She had served previously in Ghana. She probably wishes she was still there... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-01-25 |
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