Washington: Just back from a trip to
Pakistan, US Senator John Kerry says the Obama administration expected more from that country to root out terrorist groups holed up there, observing a "fullness of measure of effort" is
now required.
The comments by Kerry, who had several rounds of
discussions with Pakistan`s top leadership, came even as
another top Senator Richard Lugar asserted that Pakistan is
playing a "double game" and warned that going after some
terrorists while "coddling others" may force the Obama
administration to cut off aid to Islamabad.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meanwhile said the
Obama Administration is working very hard to have an
understanding with Pakistani leadership on the best way
forward in counter-terrorism operations and bilateral
relationship after killing of Osama bin Laden on May 1.
Kerry told members of the powerful Senate Foreign
Relations Committee of which he is the Chairman, "Should we
expect more (from Pakistan)? Absolutely. Is it tolerable that
some of these entities (terrorist groups) are sitting there on
the ground and there isn`t a fullness of measure of effort (by
Pakistan) against them? No, it`s not."
Kerry was briefing the Committee members in less than a
few hours he landed in Washington, from a long flight from
Islamabad.
"That`s exactly the conversation that we`re engaged in
now," Kerry said, but was quick to point out that most of the
discussion he had with the Pakistani leadership during the
weekend`s trip to Islamabad needs to be discussed in a
classified session.
"I expect the (Obama) administration in the next days to
be pressing the details of that, building on what we`ve
created as an outline in the last few days, and I think we can
get somewhere," he said.
Kerry also said this is no longer a time for issuign of
joint statements.
"Now, the proof is in the pudding. I made it very, very
clear. This is no longer a time for joint statements issued,
everybody goes about their way and there are four more weeks
of delay.
And, you know, we can`t afford that. But they can`t
afford it either. And I think that`s the understanding
everybody`s arrived at," Kerry said.
The Senator, who is considered to be close to US
President Barack Obama said that US would be able to protect
its interest even if there is no cooperation from Pakistan
and the access to Afghanistan is blocked by Islamabad.
But that option would be expensive and put to risk
lives of more Americans.
Kerry said while bin Laden`s death opened a door in
Afghanistan, it has complicated US relationship with Pakistan.
PTI
