Posted on 10/03/2011 12:20:25 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan's president said Monday that Pakistan has broken promises to help end the Taliban-led insurgency but that he hopes the two countries can work together like brothers — softening his rhetoric after days of tough talk in which he had suggested relations were about to break down.
The two countries' relations have become increasingly strained since the assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani two weeks ago. A host of Afghan officials have publicly accused Pakistan and its spy agency of supporting the militants who killed Rabbani. And Afghan President Hamid Karzai has suspended a series of talks with Pakistan and the United States aimed at improving cooperation in combating the Taliban.
Karzai's speech — pre-recorded and broadcast on state television — appeared to be an attempt to soothe relations while still calling for Pakistan to do more to rein in insurgents that maintain havens within its borders.
"We hope the Pakistani government will think about the interests of the Pakistani people, who also want peace and stability," Karzai said. "Our two countries should cooperate."
Afghanistan and Pakistan have long been uneasy allies against the Taliban insurgency, largely because of a long history of the Pakistani government backing insurgents as a way to keep a check on Afghan administrations it worries might ally with its arch rival, India.
But the Afghan government appeared emboldened in recent days by a strengthening of U.S. criticism of Pakistan.
On Sept. 22, the outgoing chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, said the Haqqani network, which is affiliated with the Taliban and al-Qaida, "acts as a veritable arm" of Pakistan's intelligence agency. Mullen accused the Haqqani network of staging an attack against the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
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.