Washington: "More aggressive action" in Pakistan`s tribal region to deny sanctuary to al Qaeda and Taliban may be a "good thing" but it should not take the focus away from Afghanistan where the US Army should be given "all the resources" needed, a senior Republican lawmaker has said.
"We are at a crossroads in Pakistan," Senator Kit Bond said on the floor of the House in a speech in which he favoured the approach of General Stanley McChrystal, Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to send more troops to the war-torn country.
He said the US should encourage Pakistan to reclaim their national sovereignty in the tribal areas and provide the stability and security "that is the right of a people to expect from their government.”
"I believe I speak for many of my colleagues when I say we should expect more from our allies to whom we give so much," Bond said adding, "but they need to hear that we are serious about our mission there as well."
Noting that Afghanistan and Pakistan are inextricably linked, he said, "More aggressive action may become a good thing in Pakistan, but such action should be in addition to, not as a substitute for, giving our troops in Afghanistan all the resources they need.”
"While denying al Qaeda and Taliban militants sanctuary in the border regions of Pakistan is critical, a fire-and- fall-back-only approach focusing on one part of this regional conflict will ultimately hand victory to the world`s most violent and feared terrorists," Bond said.
Bureau Report
