PTI | 04:09 PM,Sep 28,2010
A better linkLalit K Jha Washington, Sept 28 (PTI) Pakistan's powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, long considered a close ally by America, is now thought by President Barack Obama's aides to be stonewalling Washington's call for decisive action against terrorists' safe havens in the country's turbulent tribal belt.Top Obama administration officials say that Kayani has refused to adhere to any of the four demands of the US conveyed to him during a trip made by top aides in May this year just after a failed bomb plot at Times Square in New York by Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad.The apparent American misgivings on Kayani, considered to be the power centre in Pakistan, has grown so much that Bruce Riedel, a top former CIA official and one of the architects of America's Af-Pak policy told Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of US Staff Admiral Mike Mullen recently not to trust him (Kayani) as he is a "liar".However, Mullen went ahead to build a person-to-person relationship and had faith in the commitment shown by the Pakistan army chief, said a new book 'Obama's war' by Bob Woodward, noted investigative journalist.At a White House meeting on March 11, attended by National Security Advisor Gen (rtd.) James Jones, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Mullen, Riedel urged Mullen not to trust Kayani as he was a liar."I have known every head of ISI since the mid-1980s," Riedel is quoted as saying."Kayani is either not in control of his organisation or he is not telling the truth. The US should see the obvious and connect the dots. The Pakistanis are lying," he said.Addressing Mullen, he said, "you have met Kayani some dozen times, you know him better than anyone else. My impression is that he falls into the second category � liar," the book says.Woodward, who was given access to some of the classified documents as part of writing his book, wrote that Mullen did not disagree.The book also draws on crucial visits undertaken by CIA chief Leon Panetta and Jones to Islamabad to convey Obama's warning that US would have no other option but to respond if Pakistan did not take decisive action against terrorists and their safe havens.The book says that after meeting Zardari, Panetta and Jones met Kayani to tell the Pakistani army chief that the clock was now starting on all the four requests made by Obama.But Kayani would not budge very much. He had other concerns. "I'll be the first to admit, I'm India centric," he said, according to the book. .
'U.S. will respond to any Pak-linked attack’
PTI
According to a book titled 'Obama's War', the U.S. President has sent National Security Adviser James Jones and CIA chief Leon Panetta to express his concerns to Islamabad, the book entitled ‘Obama’s War’ said
Frustrated over Pakistan’s lacklustre response to failed Times Square bombing, the United States has warned Islamabad that it will be “unable to stop the consequences” of any terror attack, whose wires are linked to that country, a new book has said.
President Barack Obama has sent National Security Adviser James Jones and CIA chief Leon Panetta to express his concerns to Islamabad, the book entitled ‘Obama’s War’ said.
Mr. Obama, via his officials, also slammed Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari for not adequately interrogating LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi in 26/11 Mumbai attacks case and said “he continues to direct LeT operations from his detention centre.”
But the U.S officials returned with nothing after powerful Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani refused to adhere to any of the four demands made by them. Kiyani had other concerns —— India, the book says.
“The President wants everyone in Pakistan to understand if such an attack connected to a Pakistani group is successful there are some things even he would not be able to stop. Just there are political realities in Pakistan, there are realities in the U.S.”, an investigative U.S. journalist Bob Woodward noted the officials’ message to Mr. Zardari in the book.
“No one will be able to stop the response and consequences. There is not a threat, just a statement of political fact.”
According to U.S. intelligence, LeT is threatening attacks in the U.S. and the possibility of such an act is rising each day, Mr. Jones was quoted as saying in the book.
After meeting Mr. Zardari, U.S. officials met Gen. Kayani and Jones told the Army Chief that it is time to act on the requests all the four requests made by Mr. Obama but he “would not budge very much“.
Gen. Kayani said, “I’ll be the first to admit, I’m India centric“.
Mr. Woodward wrote that Mr. Jones and Mr. Panetta left feeling they had made only baby steps. “How can you fight a war and safe havens across the border?” Mr. Panetta asked in frustration.
The latest intelligence showed trucks crossing the border that were full of Taliban combatants with all kinds of weapons packed in the back. They were being waved through into Afghanistan to kill Americans at checkpoints controlled by the Pakistanis.
“It’s a crazy kind of war,” Mr. Panetta said.
According to the award winning author, Pakistan has repeatedly refused to accept US request to share names of all airline passengers travelling to or from Pakistan on the grounds that such a disclosure would violate their sovereignty.
“They also suspected it would give the US insight into where their intelligence officers were going. Most ISI agents were flying east to India or Bangladesh, so the US had proposed just getting data on flights heading west to the Persian Gulf, Europe and the United States.
“But the Pakistanis has stubbornly resisted,” Mr. Woodward wrote.
In the event of a terrorist attack, U.S. officials were worried that it would be hard for Mr. Obama to defend Pakistan because their leaders had refused to do what had been easy, especially on the visas and passengers lists, he wrote further.
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