President Barack Obama, in a prime-time televised news conference at the end of 100 days of his presidency, said Wednesday that he's confident that the US can make sure that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is secure even as Pakistan's war inside the country with the Taliban rages on.
However, at the same time, he raised concerns that Pakistan's stability is at stake and the last thing the US wants to find that country end up is as a "nuclear-armed militant state".
Obama also said he's glad to find that in the last few days, the Pakistani Army's obsession with India as its primary threat seemed to be dissipating and there was a recognition that the internal existential threat posed by the Taliban and other extremist groups is what is most dangerous to that country now.
Asked if the necessity arose, the US could secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and keep it from falling into the hands of the Taliban or in a worse-case scenario, the al Qaeda, the President said, "I am confident that we can make sure that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is secure."
"Primarily, initially, because the Pakistani Army, I think, recognizes the hazards of those weapons falling into the wrong hands," he said, and added: "We got strong military-to-military consultation and cooperation."
But Obama acknowledged that he was "gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan, not because I think they're immediately going to be overrun and the Taliban would take over in Pakistan. I am more concerned that the civilian government there right now is very fragile and don't seem to have the capacity to deliver basic servicesschools, health-care, rule of law, a judicial system that works for the majority of the people."
"And so as a consequence," he said, heaping even more scorn on the civilian government of President Asif Zardari, "it is very difficult for them to gain the support and loyalty of their people. So we need to help Pakistan help Pakistanis. And, I think that there's a recognition increasingly on the part of both the civilian government there and the Army that that is their biggest weakness."
Obama said, "On the military side, you are starting to see some recognition just in the last few days that the obsession with India as the mortal threat to Pakistan has been misguided and that their biggest threat right now comes internally."
"And you're starting to see the Pakistani military take much more seriously the armed threat from militant extremists."
In this context, he said, "We want to continue to encourage Pakistan to move in that direction, and we will provide them all the cooperation that we can."
"We want to respect their sovereignty, but we also recognize that we have huge strategic interests, huge national security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable and that you don't end up having a nuclear-armed militant state."
When asked about a worst-case scenario and if the US could secure Pakistan's nuclear assets, Obama refused to engage in what he described as "hypotheticals of that sort," but reiterated that "I feel confident that that nuclear arsenal will remain out of militant hands."
Earlier in the day, State Department spokesman Robert Wood lauded the Pakistani Army's strikes against the Taliban and said this seemed to be in keeping with Washington's calling on the Zardari government "to take actionsdecisive, strong actions against extremists."
"They're not just a threat to Pakistan, they're a threat to other countries in the region," he said, and added, "the Pakistanis are doing this because it's in their national interest and that's important."
But, Wood acknowledged that "this is a long struggle, and it's going to require, you know, 110 percent cooperation on the part of the international community to defeat these extremists."
Asked if the Administration viewed the recent Pakistani operation as a success, the spokesman said, "I am not able to make that assessment. I think we have to see how things play out. But at this point, I can't give you an assessment."
But Wood said that it was a step in the right direction, "no question about it."
When pointed out that the Administration was setting the bar awfully high in demanding 110 percent cooperation, he shot back, "From everyone, including the United States."
Asked if this wasn't being unrealistic, Wood replied, "Effort's important."
Meanwhile, responding to efforts on Capitol Hill among lawmakers to expedite aid to Pakistan, he said, "I know that there are conversations going on Capitol Hill about trying to expedite assistance to Pakistan," but said he couldn't provide any details."
"We obviously want to try to do what we can to deliver assistance as quickly as we can to Pakistan. The situation in Pakistan is very troubling. And, we need to provide that helpassistance. But I don't have anything to say beyond that," Wood said.
Both Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai are expected here next week for talks with Obama during which the US President, according to Administration sources will keep the pressure on Zardari to continue taking strong action against the Taliban and other extremist groups and not enter into deals like he did in the Swat Valley, while Karzai would be told firmly that he has to ensure that the elections to be held in August should be free and fair.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Patrick S Moon, who is also the Coordinator for Afghanistan, told rediff.com that the meeting would be trilateral and that they were yet another "important step in our process of building a stronger relationship between the two countries and addressing the challenges that all three of us face in Afghanistan and Pakistan."
Asked if the administration expected these meetings to elicit the desired results and be fruitful, he said, "Certainly, it will be fruitful because every time we get together at least it's a positive event and we make progress."
On the role of India in advancing the Administration's AfPak policy and the contention by Senator Joe Lieberman who has alleged that the Administration wants India to pull back in its involvement in Afghanistan because Pakistan resents India becoming a major player in this strategy, Moon said, "India plays a very positive role in Afghanistan."
"They have a large assistance program and we and other members of the international community have appreciated very much India's role in Afghanistan and they have a very good relationship with the Government of Afghanistan and we hope that it continues," he said.
Asked if it could be better, Moon said, "I am sure, it can always get better."
But when queried if the US is urging New Delhi to resurrect its composite dialogue with Islamabad, now laying comatose after the Mumbai terror attacks as a way to advance Washington's own AfPak strategy, Moon refused comment, saying, "Ok, that's enough."
