so that means non of the two is ready to back-down. This perhaps is the message of game-on to US from Pakistan (Army). Penta came out public all guns blazing and here is the response…
ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”](http://dawn.com/2012/05/28/isi-chief-postpones-us-visit-due-to-pressing-commitments/)
ISLAMABAD: The head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency has postponed a visit to the United States due to “pressing commitments”, a military spokesman said Monday.
The postponement follows renewed tensions between the two countries over Pakistan’s six-month blockade on Nato supplies into Afghanistan and last week’s sentencing of a Pakistani doctor hired by the CIA to help find Osama bin Laden.
In a short statement sent to reporters by text message, the spokesman said that the visit by the ISI director general, Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam, to the United States “has been postponed due to his pressing commitments here”.
“There is no other reason of postponing the visit,” the spokesman added.
Pakistani-US intelligence cooperation is understood to have continued despite stormy diplomatic relations between the two capitals, but frustration has been growing in both countries on how to break the stalemate.
Pakistani officials have reported five US drone strikes on Pakistani soil since a Nato summit last week, marking a dramatic increase in attacks that Pakistan demanded an end to after US air strikes in November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
The Chicago summit had been meant to symbolise a thaw between the United States and Pakistan, but appeared only to worsen the bad blood.
There is still no deal on reopening the Nato supply routes through Pakistan, vital for US and allied troops in Afghanistan.
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
I think Pakistan stance is quite clear, we made a demand concerning nato supply routes, which was ignored! Everything Pakistan has said in the last few months has been sidelined.
US needs to decide are we part of the solution or part of the problem? In the media they say different things and when they meet our officials they say something else!
and now the recent Afridi issue, which is being blown out of proportion in West! and their officials are saying all sorts of weird things and make it look like Pakistan is not serious in getting rid of terorism!
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
^ I am sure US is now regretting that they did not issue the apology right away. It would have been right thing to do.
With US elections right across the corner, now its just too late for Obama to apologize.
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
Obama is trying to be the tough black guy. Even an anti-pakistani analyst like Reidel suggested recently that Obama actually cornered himself as well considering zardari is their best hope in Pakistan. Hopefully, some good that would come out is that aid is cut sooner than later and when people starve to death, then perhaps they will realize in their thick skulls who and what to vote for next time.
Sonay pay sohaga would be if IMF / World Bank doesn't bail out Pakistan either like it did in 2008. Right now, the govt is living on "grant" aka loans from IMF as they have no link with the reality of the situation in Pakistan. I have friends whose next door neighbor is the consulate general of big city in the midwest wink wink and his monthly rent is $22,000 and he gets a driver and what not as well. Now, this is a country where subsidies for the regular people had to end because the govt couldn't afford it, yet public officials live like kings.
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
During the past few days a lot has happened.
1) zardari went to Chicago hoping to get apology from the Americans, maybe cessation of drone strikes, coalition support fund and new price for NATO transit but he was snubbed there
2) white house thought that they will convince Pakistan to open the supplies through some coercing and slight increase in NATO transit but that didn't work
3) after chicago statement from Bilawal that Americans should apologize, no one gave it an importance and soon after zardari arrived in Pakistan drone strikes resumed
4) in the mean while Pakistani sentenced dr afridi to 33 years imprisonment to the dismay of Americans
In both countries elections are nearing and they cannot appear to be weak to win over votes, secondly the American actions (drone strikes and arrogant attitude) has increased anti Americanism to such an extent that even easy things like opening NATO supplies has become a hard sell to the public.
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
In both countries elections are nearing and they cannot appear to be weak to win over votes, secondly the American actions (drone strikes and arrogant attitude) has increased anti Americanism to such an extent that even easy things like opening NATO supplies has become a hard sell to the public.
True! who had imagined that govt/military will be able to resist for so long
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
game is definitely on as D6C said... negotiation about supplies "to >>> Afghanistan" looks a bit irrelevant... its more like "from <<< Afghanistan"
both sides are unable to make up their mind on "how many pieces, and how"
for Pakistan it is "Let them go. But in how many pieces, and how?"
for america it is "Lets break Afghanistan AND Pakistan. Bit in how many pieces, and how?"
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
They want to break Pakistan in a way that the nukes dont fall into the wrong hands, before 911 their think tanks were working on these scenarios that Pakistan and middle easts geography might change and that writ of the government will get restricted to Punjab. Work is going on KP, balochistan, GB, Karachi are simmering efforts are underway to include sindh and then maybe seraiki areas into that. When that will happen mission will be accomplished and that would be the time to secure Pakistan (an ally).
Re: ISI chief postpones US visit due to “pressing commitments”
Political game is on!!! both sides will fire statement and then something will happen and every thing will be business as usual...