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| India-Pakistan |
| US' bias may undermine talks' strategic value |
| 2010-03-23 |
| ISLAMABAD -- The crucial strategic dialogue, which will begin between Washington and Islamabad on March 24, is unlikely to make any major headway largely because of the US' bias in addressing Pakistan's national security concerns. Background interviews and discussions with credible diplomatic and military sources revealed to TheNation that the US' diplomatic posturing ahead of the high calibre strategic dialogue suggested that the US's bias towards Pakistan vis-a-vis India would not let the talks to obtain some strategic value. "The strategic dialogue process would be of no meaning, as the US authorities failed to address Pakistan's national security concerns relating to India", military sources said. They were of the view that despite some US concessions to Pakistan as consequence of the KLB Act, future of bilateral co-operation between the two countries would largely depend on the value of the strategic dialogue in addressing Pakistan's security concerns. "The US has ostensibly taken position that it would not address Pakistan's concerns relating to India, which shows the level sincerity being exhibited by the US officials in addressing Pakistan's national security concerns", a source said. It added that the US' lollypops to Pakistan would not be helpful in addressing Pakistan's concerns relating to strategic balance in the region until the US recognises Pakistan as a legitimate nuclear armed state. The sources were of the view that the US' image in Pakistan could only be improved by building a trustworthy and long-term relations and that were possible only how the US addresses Pakistan's concerns relating to its national security. |
| Posted by:john frum |