by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR
Clinton categorically denied that the Barack Obama administration recently considered the option of US ground incursions into Pakistani territory. “That has never been a serious consideration.” On the contrary, the US is rebooting the strategic dialogue with Pakistan and is putting together a new work plan, “Because we got, as you say, diverted over the last months, and we want to get back to business.”
Clinton also gave a “no-objection” certificate to the Inter-Services Intelligence’s dealings with the Haqqanis. She couldn’t have put it across in a nicer way:
“Now, every intelligence agency has contacts with unsavory characters. That is part of the job of being in an intelligence agency. What those contacts are, how they are operationalized, who has them – all of that is what we are now working on together. But I don’t think you would get any denial from either the ISI or the CIA that people in their respective organizations have contacts with members of groups that have different agendas than the governments.
“So, I think what we are saying is let’s use those contacts to try to bring these people to the table to see whether or not they are going to be cooperative … it was the Pakistani intelligence services that brought a Haqqani member to a meeting with an American team. So you have to know where to call them. You’ve got to know where they are. So those are the kinds of things that we have to examine and understand how they can be beneficial.”
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