Posted on 05/08/2010 6:13:49 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
NEW YORK: The United States has warned of "severe consequences" if a successful extremist attack in America were traced back to Pakistan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes."
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a failed bid to bomb New York's Times Square last Saturday. If proven, it would be the group's first act in the United States.
Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad has been charged with driving the crude homemade bomb into Midtown Manhattan and said he acted alone, according to authorities.
But investigators have uncovered possible links to the Pakistani Taliban and a Kashmiri Islamist group.
"We've gotten more cooperation. It's been a real sea change in the commitment we have seen from the Pakistani government. We want more, we expect more," Clinton said in the interview to be aired on Sunday.
Excerpts were released on Friday. "We've made it very clear that if -- heaven-forbid -- an attack like this that we can trace back to Pakistan were to have been successful, there would be very severe consequences," she said, without elaborating.
Shahzad, 30, who was born in Pakistan and became a US citizen last year, has admitted to the failed plot and to receiving bomb-making training in a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold in Pakistan, prosecutors said.
He has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying to kill and maim people, as well as other counts.
Shahzad is yet to appear in court as he has waived his US legal rights and is talking to investigators.
Better relationship
Tension remained high in New York after Shahzad was plucked from an Emirates airline flight he boarded on Monday night even though he had been placed on a "no fly" list.
Several blocks of Times Square were shut down again on Friday for 90 minutes to investigate a suspicious package that turned out to be a lunch cooler.
Some analysts have speculated that if the Pakistani Taliban were involved in the Times Square plot, it could be responding to US drone attacks that have killed militants hiding in Pakistan as well as civilians.
The United States, which sees Pakistan's effort against militants as crucial to its fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan, has about 200 military personnel in Pakistan, including Special Operations forces on a training mission.
"We also have a much better relationship, military to military, intelligence to intelligence, government to government than we had before," Clinton said.
"I think that there was a double game going on in the previous years, where we got a lot of lip service but very little produced."
"We've got a lot produced. We have seen the killing or capturing of a great number of the leadership of significant terrorist groups and we're going (to) continue that," she said in the interview.
US defense secretary Robert Gates said on Friday the United States was prepared to provide more assistance to Pakistan if it wanted it in the wake of the attempted Times Square bombing.
Gates said that Pakistan recently stepped up efforts to root out extremist militants.
"The Pakistanis have been doing so much more than 18 months or two years ago any of us would have expected," Gates told reporters at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He referred to Pakistani army offensives, dating to spring 2009, against Taliban extremists in areas near the Afghan border, including in south Waziristan.
Gates said the Obama administration is sticking to its policy of offering to do as much training and other military activity inside Pakistan as the Pakistan government is willing to accept.
"It's their country," Gates said. "They remain in the driver's seat, and they have their foot on the accelerator."
I bet that scared them!
It’s almost time to send Pakistan a stern letter.
bambi already took “severe consequences” (da bomb) off the table
I guess the Paki’s should brace themselves for a sternly worded letter and unproductive bluster about sanctions from bankrupt western nations desperate for chinese and muslim money to keep buying their debt
Severe consequences = strongly worded letter using exclamation points and bolded text.
Bammy will start to treat Pakistan like he treats the Brits or the nuclear option as he treats Israel?
All white people in NYC will be rounded up.....That’ll teach em!
LOL!
Um, we'll do whatever we can to pretend it wasn't a terrorist attack.
Then we will try to blame anyone else but Pakistan. Preferably white tea partiers.
Then we'll outlaw some random object used in said attack. i.e. propane tanks, trucks, car rentals, etc.
Yeah, I'll bet they are quaking in their boots.
The United States has warned of "severe consequences" if a successful extremist attack in America were traced back to Pakistan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes." ...Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad has been charged with driving the crude homemade bomb into Midtown Manhattan and said he acted alone, according to authorities. But investigators have uncovered possible links to the Pakistani Taliban and a Kashmiri Islamist group.Thanks James C. Bennett.
Tell ‘em they’re going to be praying to a smoking crater instead of that big rock they currently pray to. And then actually carry out the threat, if they pay it no heed. Anything else - you’re just wasting everyone’s time.
We know all we need to know for there to be consequences.
I heard from reliable sources that the plan is for Obama to make a very very stern speech on the floor of the United Nations.
SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKIN’ in my boots!!!!
Public Threats of this sort made against a Nuclear power are never a helpful use of our time.
“Or else we will be very angry with you... and we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are.”
Your head is still made of Jello. Worthless threats from a bubble headed SOS sure won't strike fear in anyone from Pakistan.
We need people in the White House that act like grown ups.
Stamping foot and hissing her invective. What a self righteous old biatch the Hillfecker has become. But why? What is she covering up?
Our country is dotted with Muslim Militia compounds, The al Furqua ones alone over the last 8 years have trained gunmen on their shooting ranges, and trained teams on how to assault bunkers.THE FBI DID NOTHING......NOW THOSE MEN ARE ALL GONE! TO..........Yemen and Pakistan.
NATURALIZED MUSLIM AMERICANS TOURING IN PAKISTAN are just beginning to return "home" to the USA, bringing the lights of their latest training with them.
YET ACCORDING TO THE OBAMA ADMINSITRATION WE ARE NOT AT WAR WITH ISLAMOFASCIST TERRORISTS?
BECAUSE OBAMA IS AN ISLAMOFASCIST HIMSELF?????
LOOKS LIKE!
NOTHING IS OR WAS DONE TO STOP THE TANGO TOURIST TRADE TO PAKISTAN
AND NOW THEY COME BACK AS BOMBERS AND SOON AS SUICIDE BOMBERS < BRINGING IT ALL HOME HERE>!
BUT WAIT! WAIT! THEY ARE NOT TERRORISTS, THEY ARE JUST PUT UPON MUSLIMS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW THE AMERICAN DREAM BECAUSE OF THOSE DIRTY ROTTEN CAPITALISTS, AND USUROUS ANTI-SHARIA INTEREST CHARGES!!!
BLOW UP THOSE CAPITALISTS >>>>YES!!!!
I think we see the Obama plan here quite well.
And Hillery?Put a shoe in it. We know exactly what you are up to.
I can hardly wait to tag my first Muslim Terrorist target. I eagerly await the forst gun waving bomb strapped Musli idiot in my neighborhood.Me and my homies are going to get some.(sarc.)
This is what Obama wants!!!
We need to deport those returning idiots or refuse them entry into the USA. FULL STOP!CONNTROL OUR BORDERS ............................NOW!
Viva ARIZONA!!!
Pakistan is probably replying...”Would that put us in the same category as Iran, please, oh please?”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.