Biden reasures Pakistan in speech as bomb kills 20

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ISLAMABAD – Vice President Joe Biden hit back at critics of U.S. policies toward Pakistan Wednesday, saying a sustained partnership between the two nations is vital in defeating al-Qaida and Taliban extremists.

Hours after Biden spoke in the capital, a suicide car bomber struck a police station and adjoining mosque in the northwest, killing at least 16 people and providing a fresh reminder of America's challenges in the unstable, nuclear-armed Islamic country.

Reflecting the delicacy of U.S.-Pakistan ties, Biden did not mention any frustrations in Washington over the Pakistani army's reluctance to move into a key militant sanctuary along the northwest border with Afghanistan. Public calls by U.S. leaders for Pakistan to "do more" in the fight invariably spark a backlash by its media and leaders.

Biden's one-day trip came a week after a security guard with extremist sympathies gunned down a liberal governor from the ruling party. The pro-Washington government also narrowly avoided collapse when it convinced a key coalition partner not to join the opposition last week.

Biden sought to counter anti-U.S. conspiracy theories commonly heard in Pakistan, saying Washington has not imposed its anti-terror war on Pakistan, does not favor archrival India, does not want to break up the country and is not at war with Islam.

"We are not the enemies of the Islam and we embrace those who practice that great religion in our country," he said alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Washington has committed to giving Pakistan $7.5 billion in aid in the coming years to improve the lives of ordinary Pakistanis, stabilize the country and show its military and civilian leaders that the U.S. is a long-term friend. The U.S. is also asking Islamabad to step up military efforts against Taliban and al-Qaida militants who use bases in northwest Pakistan to launch attacks on American and NATO troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

"As we embark on this new year, we must in my view, and the president's, rededicate ourselves to building on the progress we have made in the last couple of years and what still must be achieved, together," Biden said.

Pakistan has undertaken operations in six out of its seven tribal regions close to Afghanistan and lost more than 2,000 soldiers, but has so far not moved into North Waziristan, which remains a haven for militants. Islamabad says its forces are too stretched to attack that region presently — an assessment that some U.S. officials have publicly agreed with.

During a stop in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the vice president said success there would "require more pressure on the Taliban, from Pakistan's side of the border, than we've been able ... to exert so far."

U.S. policymakers regard Pakistan as having equal, if not more, importance to America's long-term strategic interests than Afghanistan. But Washington's options are limited in dealing with the country and its militants. Sending ground troops into the northwest would trigger public outrage, empower the Islamists and destabilize the country, a risky proposition given Islamabad's nuclear weapons.

The suicide attack in the northwestern Bannu region underscored the threat militants pose there despite repeated offensives by the Pakistani army over the last 2 1/2 years.

The blast badly damaged the police station and the mosque, trapping many victims under the rubble. Bannu police chief Mohammad Sajid said 20 people had been killed, and a hospital was treating 30 wounded. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban who identified himself as Ehsanullah Ehsan called an Associated Press reporter to claim responsibility for the attack.

While encouraging the Pakistani military to take action in the northwest, the CIA has stepped up its use of drone strikes to target militants in the borderlands over the last year. Those attacks, while unpopular among many Pakistanis, are accepted by the Pakistani army.

Earlier Wednesday, one such strike in the North Waziristan region killed four people, Pakistani intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Also in the northwest, two roadside bombs exploded close to a van carrying schoolchildren and female teachers, killing two of the teachers, said police officer Tajmir Shah. Seven others were wounded in the blast in a village close to the main city of Peshawar. It was unclear why — or if — the van was targeted.

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Associated Press writers Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan and Riaz Khan in Peshawar contributed to this report.


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Q+A-UPDATE 1-Biden in Pakistan does familiar diplomatic dance12 Jan 2011

Source: reuters // Reuters


(Adds Biden comment)

By Michael Georgy

ISLAMABAD, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday attempted to dispel what he called common anti-American misperceptions in Pakistan and its media, while urging the government to fight growing religious extremism.

The United States usually treads cautiously in its bid to persuade Pakistan to go after militants, putting aside its frustrations as it tries to turn an unstable country into a more reliable partner.

(For main story, click on [IDn:SGE70B038])

Here are some questions and answers on the uneasy U.S.-Pakistani relations.


WHY IS THE UNITED STATES FRUSTRATED WITH PAKISTAN?

Under immense pressure from Washington, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf made the highly unpopular decision to join the U.S. war on al Qaeda following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. It has evolved into a hub for some of the world's most lethal militant groups. Militants easily cross the long, porous border to attack U.S.-led NATO troops in Afghanistan or plot against Pakistan's government. Ambitious militants inspired by Osama bin Laden's calls for global holy war train there.

Biden, on his first trip here as vice president, will likely leave with a familiar feeling. Military, economic and intelligence support poured into Pakistan over many years has yet to deliver results for Washington.

Mistrust and conflicting interests usually strain their rocky marriage of convenience after each round of talks.

That cooperation is needed more than ever. The Obama administration hopes to reverse the tide of the war in Afghanistan before a troop withdrawal starts in 2011.

The true test, this time, will be whether Pakistan's military will cave in to U.S. pressure to launch a full-scale offensive in North Waziristan to go after the Haqqani militant network -- one of the United States's most feared foes in Afghanistan.

Pakistan sees the Haqqani group as a counterweight to rival India's growing influence in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials won't say that in talks with Biden, but it's always understood. Washington is always trying to gauge Pakistan's long-term commitment to eliminating militancy. Islamabad is seeking assurances that the United States will provide more support.


CAN PAKISTAN EVER BE A RELIABLE PARTNER?
Unlikely, because Pakistan is gripped by one crisis after another. The latest one erupted after a critical party defected from Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's ruling coalition. Political troubles seemed more serious than ever. Then a liberal governor, Salman Taseer, was shot dead by a police bodyguard incensed by his campaign to change Pakistan's anti-blasphemy law. That stark reminder that religious extremism is spreading in the nuclear-armed country is likely to raise further doubts on whether Pakistan can be stable enough to be a reliable partner.

Indeed, Biden focused on the theme of intolerance in Pakistan, suggesting it could pose a far graver threat to U.S. efforts to strengthen its partner Pakistan.

The government's handling of the latest political storm cast doubt on its resolve. It quickly caved in to opposition demands and put off IMF reforms -- defusing the crisis but disappointing the United States and other Western donors. Fiscal discipline is just as vital for stability as military gains. The stronger the economy, the more faith there is in the state, and the less chance militants can gain recruits. Chronic uncertainty means Pakistan will remain consumed by domestic political strife, curtailing its ability to work with its allies.


DOES PAKISTANI PUBLIC OPINION HAMPER THE UNITED STATES?
Yes. For all its flaws, Pakistan's democracy must respond to public opinion. Anti-American sentiment runs high. The United States is seen as an unreliable ally after walking away from the region after Pakistan helped anti-Soviet Afghan guerrillas drive Soviet forces from Afghanistan in the 1980s. The United States is unlikely to ease up on intensified U.S. drone aircraft missile strikes designed to kill high-profile militants in northwest Pakistan. The attacks, and U.S. pressure for tougher measures against militants, often create the impression that Pakistan is fighting America's war, not its own.

Until the Pakistani public is convinced that U.S. interests align with Pakistan's, Washington will struggle. (For more Reuters coverage of Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/places/pakistan) (If you have a query or comment about this story, send an e-mail to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)