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Pakistan playing double game: American lawmakers
As the United States seeks Pakistan`s co-operation to facilitate the smooth withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, top American lawmakers have accused Islamabad of playing a double game with Washington.
Washington: As the United States seeks Pakistan`s co-operation to facilitate the smooth withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, top American lawmakers have accused Islamabad of playing a double game with Washington.
Arguing that there is no letup in Pakistan`s effort to support terrorist groups, the lawmakers questioned the recent move of the Obama Administration to release the blocked security assistance to Islamabad.
"Pakistan`s military and security service continue to complicate matters by supporting the Taliban. Pakistan is a double-dealer, paying lip service to cooperation with the US, unfortunately, while simultaneously undermining our primary objective of bringing Afghanistan under the control of a democratically elected government," said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Relations Committee.
Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who recently returned from the Af-Pak region, said that relationship with Pakistan is complicated and he expects it will probably continue to be so.
"But I believe and I hope that the Pakistanis are actually starting to understand that the Taliban is actually their problem too. And it`s no longer a tool they can use to posture against India or whatever went into that whole, I guess, calculus there," Kinzinger said.
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher continued to blast Pakistan for its support to terrorist outfits.
"We`re dealing with Pakistan in order to make sure we have a presence there and where - meaning in Afghanistan - and the Pakistanis are doing what - we know the Pakistanis are behind, the ISI, who they`re financing," he said.
"We know that they spend money that they end up getting from us to kill American soldiers. This is insanity," he said.
"We have people who want to stay longer? It`s time for us to get our butts out of that country. Not for their sake, for our sake. We don`t even care enough to know how much it`s costing or how many killed and wounded that we suffered. That should be right on the tip of your tongue, because that`s a cost to everybody`s kid," Rohrabacher said. "But we have some other agenda in Afghanistan. I don`t see what we`re going to accomplish. We are asking what the goals are," he added.
Arguing that there is no letup in Pakistan`s effort to support terrorist groups, the lawmakers questioned the recent move of the Obama Administration to release the blocked security assistance to Islamabad.
"Pakistan`s military and security service continue to complicate matters by supporting the Taliban. Pakistan is a double-dealer, paying lip service to cooperation with the US, unfortunately, while simultaneously undermining our primary objective of bringing Afghanistan under the control of a democratically elected government," said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the powerful House Foreign Relations Committee.
Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who recently returned from the Af-Pak region, said that relationship with Pakistan is complicated and he expects it will probably continue to be so.
"But I believe and I hope that the Pakistanis are actually starting to understand that the Taliban is actually their problem too. And it`s no longer a tool they can use to posture against India or whatever went into that whole, I guess, calculus there," Kinzinger said.
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher continued to blast Pakistan for its support to terrorist outfits.
"We`re dealing with Pakistan in order to make sure we have a presence there and where - meaning in Afghanistan - and the Pakistanis are doing what - we know the Pakistanis are behind, the ISI, who they`re financing," he said.
"We know that they spend money that they end up getting from us to kill American soldiers. This is insanity," he said.
"We have people who want to stay longer? It`s time for us to get our butts out of that country. Not for their sake, for our sake. We don`t even care enough to know how much it`s costing or how many killed and wounded that we suffered. That should be right on the tip of your tongue, because that`s a cost to everybody`s kid," Rohrabacher said. "But we have some other agenda in Afghanistan. I don`t see what we`re going to accomplish. We are asking what the goals are," he added.