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| India-Pakistan |
| Zardari says military offensive to last until normalcy |
| 2009-05-08 |
| [Geo News] President Asif Ali Zardari has said Thursday that military operations against extremists would last until "normalcy" returns to the troubled Swat Valley. "It is going to carry on until life in Swat comes back to normalcy," Zardari told a joint press conference at the US Capitol after meeting key senators. He was speaking after the Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, urged Pakistan to unite against extremists as air and ground troops pounded militant targets in the Swat Valley. The government had in February entered an agreement -- which came under harsh criticism in Washington -- that put three million people in the region under strict Islamic law in hopes of ending the nearly two-year Taliban insurgency. Zardari was in Washington for three-way talks involving Afghan President Hamid Karzai, part of US President Barack Obama's new focus on fighting extremism both in Pakistan and Afghanistan. "It's a regional problem, it's a worldwide problem," Zardari said. "I think the world is coming to that realization." Afghan president Hamid Karzai, on the occasion, said devising a new strategy to make counter insurgency came under discussion during talks and we took up the issues of rising civilian casualties in US strikes as this is really a critical matter which is helping insurgents win sympathies of people. Senator John Kerry said that counter terrorism is Pak-Afghan's own war and added US sees interests in both neighbouring countries and wishes to resolve crisis existing in the region but questioned Pakistan and Afghan governments' seriousness to combat insurgency. To a question, Senator Kerry said a new Pakistan aid bill will soon be completed in US Congress. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 Normalcy? That rumbling noise you just heard was H.L. Mencken's rapidly spinning bones drilling a hole sideways out of his coffin. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-05-08 11:09 |
| #1 Oh, good. See ya in about 2750... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-05-08 10:54 |