And Holbrooke immediately came across, despite the fact that this strategy has spectacularly failed. "Holbrooke promises review of new screening measures: War on terror has paralysed Pak economy: Zardari," from the Daily Times, January 16 :
ISLAMABAD: The US regional campaign against militancy and the violence it has provoked in Pakistan have almost crippled the country's economy, said President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday.The president made the comments at a meeting with US special envoy Richard Holbrooke in Lahore.
"Pakistan's industrial growth and export potential have been severely restricted, first because the region was a theatre of war against rival ideology in the past ... and secondly because of rising militancy in the country as a consequence of the first [factor]," a statement by Zardari's office quoted him as saying.
$35 billion: Zardari told Holbrooke the war against militancy had cost Pakistan $35 billion over the last eight years, and "has almost paralysed the economy". He said Washington was also behind on payments under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF). US officials say red tape and problems in obtaining visas for US auditors to Pakistan have slowed the process.
Zardari also said drone strikes and new US screening measures for Pakistanis were a cause of concern, and called for an urgent review.
According to presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar, Zardari also highlighted that drone strikes inside Pakistani territory undermined national consensus against militancy and raised questions over the sovereignty of the country. The president reiterated Pakistan's call for the provision of drone technology to allow national security forces, instead of foreign troops, to target militants inside the country.
Holbrooke assured Zardari that his government had agreed to review the new screening regime, and said the US homeland security secretary would personally look into the matter. He said $349 million under the CSF would be released immediately, while the reimbursement of the remaining money would be expedited....
Referring to the new US Afghan strategy, Zardari called on the US to remain sensitive to Pakistan's core national interests and concerns. He said US operations should be limited to the Afghan side of the border....
Oh, we've been quite sensitive for years now -- to the tune of several billion dollars passed on to the jihadis by Pakistani officials.
"The president reiterated Pakistan's call for the provision of drone technology to allow national security forces, instead of foreign troops, to target militants inside the country."
They want the drone technology for Islam, to combat the enemies of Islam (including, especially, us).
Don't let them have it!
The unwitting free flow of green American taxpayer dollars to Islamic terrorist supporters like Pakistan and the free flow of red American blood in places like the Jewish Center in Seattle, Washington.
The possible connection in this tragedy of politics, and Islamic terrorism and the resulting demise of peaceful American civilians are real and very palpable.
STOP FUNDING SUPPORTERS OF ISLAMIC TERRORISM NOW!!!
All support for any muhammaden or muhammaden country, either for fighting terrorism or humanitarian aid is a waste of money if the individual or country continues to believe the Islamic source materials and actually obey them.
All support given to any Muhammaden is consciously or unconsciously supporting Muhammad's Islamic source material and therefore global Jihad against the hand that feeds. This aiding and abetting the enemy must stop immediately. All non-Muhams are in danger as long as there are persons on this planet that believe this source material to be the infallible word of God that must be acted out in its fullest sense with killing and death in the name of Allah and Muham as the highest calling that gives the richest rewards in the oasis with the running water, fruit and virgin boys.
I think Edward Ketelbey has summed up, for all time, the typically Muslim gimmegimmegimme mindset.
His delightful piece of kitsch is entitled 'In a *Persian* market' but it applies to any other part of dar al Islam currently engaged in begging and/ or threatening non-Muslim countries in order to extract what is believed by the Muslims to be no less than their due.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2lANtTxKYw
ISLAMABAD: The US regional campaign against militancy and the violence it has provoked in Pakistan have almost crippled the country's economy, said President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday.
.................
Yes—because having Jihadists using your country as a base for exporting terrorism, and having Jihadists take over large portions of the country and imposing draconian Shari'ah law there, is otherwise entirely salubrious for a nation's economy.
sarc/off
awww isn't extortion fun? /sarc
"ISLAMABAD: The US regional campaign against militancy and the violence it has provoked in Pakistan have almost crippled the country's economy, said President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday. "
they had a prosperous economy before this? lol ummm no.
"Pakistan's industrial growth and export potential have been severely restricted,..."
what did they export exactly? oh yeah, terrorism.
"$35 billion: Zardari told Holbrooke the war against militancy had cost Pakistan $35 billion over the last eight years, and "has almost paralysed the economy"."
yeah $35 billion of our money. and what did they use this money for? to stop terrorism? to help their economy at all? obviously not. they used it to build more indoctrination centers, mosques and support terrorist groups like al quada and the taliban in the hopes that these terrorist groups wont kill them. ummmm yeah, that didnt work out too well, now did it? the rest they just pocketed.
"The president reiterated Pakistan's call for the provision of drone technology to allow national security forces, instead of foreign troops, to target militants inside the country."
pffft right. we give them our techology so they can play games and feign actually fighting the jihadist, until we finally leave that hell hole. then guess where they will be sending those drones? right at us. or letting al qauda and the taliban get hold of that technology, that'll be real fun,huh? we already trained the bastards, gave them tons of money and weapons. i guess some drones in the hands of those idiots will make things a lot better, right? pfft hell no. dont expect the military or the president to actually stop this from happening. the madness never ends.
"Holbrooke assured Zardari that his government had agreed to review the new screening regime, and said the US homeland security secretary would personally look into the matter. He said $349 million under the CSF would be released immediately, while the reimbursement of the remaining money would be expedited...."
grrrr the jyzia is happily on its way by more clueless dhimmis. and what the hell do they think our secretary of homeland security will actually do? fix anything. hell, they cant even fix anything here. they just make the situation worse.
frustrating. pathetic. time to get those blood pressure meds now. ugh.
¨Referring to the new US Afghan strategy, Zardari called on the US to remain sensitive to Pakistan’s core national interests and concerns."
Move out western armies, remove any form of jizya and support India with dealing with the problem.