Pakistan Views

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said US and Pakistan have deepening ties and visit by it diplomats to the major anti-terror ally for talks with the new government signifies Washington’s respect for the democratic process and its outcome in the country.
Rice said timing of the visit by Deputy Secretary John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher - planned some time ago - “turned out to be pretty coincidental.”In an interview with editorial board of The Washington Times, she said US is interested in talking to the new government on the way forward in the fight against violent extremism.The top American diplomat, at the same time, acknowledged the complexity of the problem in the federally administered tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.”Fata is also a very special problem. It’s a special problem because it has not been governed really ever, the tribal ties are very deep and they are cross-border ties.”Rice referred to the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto and stated it’s the assessment of most that the forces that martyred her are associated with terrorists who operate in that area.She noted that Pakistan has been a victim of terrorist attacks and underlined the menace has to be addressed.”And it can’t be tolerated by the Pakistanis, who are bearing the brunt of the extremists attacking, whether it is the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto or the actions that they’ve taken against the armed forces or the innocent civilians who have died in those attacks.”