Posted on 05/21/2012 4:20:02 PM PDT by Olog-hai
A growing diplomatic dispute over Pakistan's refusal to reopen supply routes for U.S. and other troops in Afghanistan threatened to overshadow President Obama’s efforts on the final day of the NATO summit to finalize plans for ending the unpopular war.
In remarks to more than 50 world leaders, Obama on Monday made clear his frustration at what aides view as Pakistani intransigence by publicly thanking Russia and other Central Asian countries for providing "critical transit” of war supplies into Afghanistan in the six months since Pakistan closed its ground routes following U.S. airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari sat only a few feet away, but Obama pointedly did not mention Pakistan and initially refused to meet him one-on-one, part of a campaign aimed at persuading Islamabad to abandon its demands for a formal apology and for steeply higher payments in return for resuming the shipments.
In a news conference later, Obama made no attempt to downplay the problems in a relationship with a nominal ally that has spiraled from one crisis to another since U.S. Navy SEALs flew into the military garrison town of Abbottabad last May to kill Osama bin Laden, infuriating many Pakistanis.
"We need to work through some of the tensions" with Pakistan, Obama said. "I don't want to paper over real challenges."
Obama also offered a public window into how his thinking about the use of military force had developed, reflecting on an issue that officials have said increasingly has been on his mind—the inevitable tensions that develop when the U.S. tries to keep a large military force operating actively in a foreign country for a lengthy period. …
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Gee, and he pronounces the country’s name with such worldly flair.
what was he doing, stomping his feet? Did Momma Jarett have to take him outside?
gee....you mean Osama was more valuable alive?? Duh....
Pakistan is a problem, but Pokeestahn is a-okay to the bumbling executive faggot.
The L.A. Times is slipping. It’s Pockeeston....Pock-ee-ston.
Pakistan is not the problem. Obama is for lack of leadership
No wonder Prez O’Bozo is upset with the Poch-e-stahn-ees.
They are just not making large enough contributions to his re-election campaign and PACS.
Zardari just wants one of them patented apologies and curtsies from The One he is so known for.
Pretty funny, I remember during the campaign
Obama was touted as the president who would talk
to any one, even Iran.
Can you say, in over his head?
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