Kerry, Dodd and Biden Pressure Pakistan on Al Qaeda

[whometense]

Kerry, Dodd and Biden Pressure Pakistan on Al Qaeda





WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Kerry, Chris Dodd and Joe Biden introduced a resolution today aimed at sending a signal to Pakistan that the Taliban and Al Qaeda must not be allowed to establish a safe haven in that country. The resolution came as the Senate debated the 9-11 legislation and is intended to put Congress on record as making clear that military assistance to Pakistan will be assessed in the context of efforts in cracking down on the Taliban and Al Qaeda. The three senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will seek to have the resolution added to the comprehensive 9-11 legislation.



“As the Senate works to implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to make our country safer here at home, we must never forget of the importance of going after the terrorists before they can strike,” Sen. Kerry said today. “Our top military and intelligence officials report that the resurgent Taliban is using the tribal regions of Pakistan as a base to launch attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan. It’s unacceptable that a newly regenerated Al Qaeda is again finding sanctuary to plot new attacks. While it is important to recognize Pakistan’s many important contributions to the fight against terror, it is obvious that more remains to be done. This resolution sends a clear message that Congress is watching Pakistan’s efforts to crack down on the Taliban and Al Qaeda closely, and will consider progress when determining appropriate levels of U.S. military assistance.”



This legislation reinforces the message coming from both Congress and the Executive Branch: the government of Pakistan has got to do far more to crack down on Taliban and Al Qaeda operations,” said Sen. Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Our goal here is to improve cooperation with Pakistan. If we see Pakistan moving in the right direction on counterterrorism, democratization, and other issues, our aid levels should reflect this improvement. But decision-makers in Pakistan should recognize that the reverse is also true."



“The fact that the Taliban and Al Qaeda have established critical sanctuaries in Pakistan from where they continue to launch and plan attacks five years after 9/11 is simply unacceptable. It reflects the misguided priorities and policies of this administration in fighting the war on terror,” said Sen. Dodd. “The Government of Pakistan has been a pivotal partner in the war on terror and Pakistan has itself endured acts of terrorism and sectarian violence. But the Government of Pakistan must do more in apprehending members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda and preventing their operations on its territory. Stronger US-Pakistan relations depend on it.”

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[wisteria]

1. Thank you for posting this- good job by Senator's Kerry, Dodd and Biden. n/t

[beachmom]

2. Somebody wrote a diary on this:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/7/223116/5839

[CBHagman]

3. Very important! Thanks for pointing this out.

I was unaware of the resolution and will be following this.

What I fear is that most Americans are unaware that Pakistan is a sanctuary for al Qaeda and that it also was the source of A.Q. Khan's so-called nuclear supermarket. Both factors have nightmarish long-term implications for security throughout the world (Just listen to Michael Scheuer for an idea of the possibilities).

I suspect also that very few Americans are aware that our so-called ally Pervez Musharraf came to power via a coup and is in a very vulnerable position.

What we really need is something with teeth in it, plus action from the Bush administration on several fronts, including nonproliferation. However, they're so busy promoting the Frank Luntz-tested talking points (i.e., that Iraq is the central front in the war on terror, that our troops are fighting over there that we may avoid having to fight over here, etc.) that they show few signs of facing the real issues. I suspect that in the long run, this will be a costly approach on several levels.

On edit: Oh, crap. I just saw the headline about the Pakistani scientists being kidnapped by the Taliban. Granted, that doesn't mean they're able to provide the technology to non-state actors, but still...

What's worse is that the government of Pakistan is apparently cowed by many things -- the popularity of A.Q. Khan, the fear of embarrassing itself by revealing the kidnappings, etc.

[beachmom]

4. Kerrygoddess did a great diary on this this morning.

I didn't see it in time, but it's worth a read:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/8/115549/5504