Benedict Brogan: The Foreign Office Should Relax, Pakistan Knows David Cameron Is Right
THE TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – BENEDICT BROGAN: Pakistan’s anger at David Cameron and his remarks about terrorism are getting great play ahead of president Asif Ali Zardari’s visit. The Telegraph details today the real purpose of his appearance in Britain, namely to promote the political interests of his Pakistan People’s Party and his son Bilawal, who is being lined up to succeed him. There’s a big rally in Birmingham on Saturday (sorry, no cameras apparently). Which helps to explain why the visit wasn’t cancelled as some demanded: the dinner at Chequers on Friday was always incidental. Continue reading and comment >>> Benedict Brogan | Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Now that David Cameron has been so frank with the Pakistanis, perhaps he should think about being as frank with the Saudis, too. Because the Saudis also have a Janus face: On the one hand they are supposed to be our partners in the ‘war on terror’, but at the same time they are funding the growth of Salafism in the West, and thereby undermining the stability of our Judeo-Christian civilization. The Saudis also quietly fund the Jihad against us. So come on Mr. Cameron! You like the truth; so come out with it: The whole truth, and nothing but the truth. – © Mark

Paris : Pour le président pakistanais, la coalition perd la guerre en Afghanistan
LE TEMPS: PARIS, Le président pakistanais Asif Ali Zardari a averti mardi que la coalition était "en train de perdre la guerre" en Afghanistan et rejeté les critiques du Premier ministre britannique David Cameron sur un double jeu d'Islamabad avec les talibans.

"La communauté internationale, à laquelle appartient le Pakistan, est en train de perdre la guerre contre les talibans. Et ce, avant tout, parce que nous avons perdu la bataille de la conquête des coeurs et des esprits", a déclaré au quotidien Le Monde M. Zardari qui achève mardi une visite en France avant de se rendre à Londres.

Estimant cependant que "la communauté internationale n'acceptera jamais de voir les talibans diriger à nouveau" l'Afghanistan, le chef de l'Etat pakistanais juge que les rebelles "n'ont aucune chance de reprendre le pouvoir" même si "leur emprise progresse".

Alors que des documents confidentiels de l'armée américaine, diffusés par le site internet Wikileaks, font état de liens entre le Pakistan et les talibans, M. Zardari juge "absurde" l'idée d'un double jeu de son pays.

"Le Pakistan et sa population sont victimes des terroristes. Nous ne faisons pas que défendre nos frontières, nous luttons contre la terreur et ceux qui la propagent", a-t-il affirmé.

Les zones tribales du Nord-Ouest, frontalières avec l'Afghanistan et bastion des talibans pakistanais, sont le sanctuaire d'Al-Qaïda et la base arrière des talibans afghans.

"Il n'y a pas de bons talibans avec qui on pourrait parler et d'autres, mauvais, qu'il faudrait combattre", ajoute-t-il, même s'il "respecte le choix" du président afghan Hamid Karzaï "d'engager son pays dans un processus de réconciliation avec les insurgés disposés à accepter le dialogue". >>> AFP | Mardi 03 Août 2010

THE TELEGRAPH: Pakistan president: coalition forces 'losing war against Taliban in Afghanistan' : Coalition forces are “losing the war” against the Taliban in Afghanistan, Asif Ali Zardari, the president of Pakistan, claimed ahead of his visit to Britain. >>> Andrew Hough, Duncan Gardham, John Bingham | Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Le président pakistanais : "La France considère le Pakistan comme un partenaire responsable"
Nicolas Sarkozy serre la main à son homologue pakistanais sur le perron de l'Élysée. Photo: Le Point
LE POINT: Le président pakistanais Asif Ali Zardari a estimé lundi que la France considérait le Pakistan comme "un partenaire responsable", à l'issue d'un entretien avec son homologue Nicolas Sarkozy. "La France considère le Pakistan comme un partenaire responsable", a assuré Asif Ali Zardari, s'exprimant devant des journalistes au palais de l'Élysée. >>> AFP | Lundi 02 Août 2010

Pakistan erklärt den Taliban den Krieg: Washington versucht den zaudernden Verbündeten in die Pflicht zu nehmen
NZZ am Sonntag: Präsident Obama macht Hilfe an Pakistan vom Vorgehen gegen die Taliban abhängig. Die Regierung Zardari scheint die Drohung verstanden zu haben und hat eine Offensive gegen die Islamisten gestartet.

Laut Barack Obama war das Treffen mit Asif Ali Zardari und Hamid Karzai diese Woche in Washington «ausserordentlich konstruktiv». Man sei sich einig in dem Ziel, die Taliban zu besiegen, stellte der amerikanische Präsident fest. Der Zweckoptimismus konnte nicht darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass der pakistanische wie auch der afghanische Präsident schwache politische Figuren sind und die islamistischen Extremisten in ihren Ländern stark an Einfluss gewonnen haben.

Nach seiner Amtsübernahme im Januar hatte Obama verkündet, künftig das Augenmerk mehr auf Pakistan zu richten, weil der Krieg in Afghanistan nur gewonnen werden könne, wenn die Taliban im Nachbarland keinen Unterschlupf mehr fänden. Unter Obamas Vorgänger Bush hat Pakistan seit 2001 jährlich über eine Milliarde Dollar Hilfe erhalten, ohne dass sich diese ausbezahlt hätte. Die Armee bekämpfte die Extremisten im Grenzgebiet nur halbherzig, die Regierung schloss umstrittene Friedensabkommen mit diesen. >>> Andrea Spalinger, Delhi | Sonntag, 10. Mai 2009

Barack Obama Demands Afghanistan and Pakistan Unite against Taliban
THE TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama has demanded that the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan intensify their campaigns against the Taliban amid fears the region could be overrun by extremism.

Pakistani paramilitary maintain a position on a high post in the troubled area of Pakistan's Lower Dir district, Sunday, April 26. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
Both the US president and Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, held frank discussions with Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari, the countries' respective leaders, at the White House before a declaration was due to be issued underlining their commitment to co-operate in the battle against terrorism.

Dozens of other meetings were also held at ministerial level in a "tripartite summit" in Washington, as the Obama administration sought to build collaboration between neighbours who have a history of suspicion and mistrust, and to convince them of Washington's sincere interest in their plights.

With the war in Afganistan no nearer to an end, and Pakistan's civilian government in danger of collapse, Mrs Clinton told the two leaders: "We have made this common cause because we face a common threat. We have a common task, and a common challenge.

"We know that each of your countries is struggling with the extremists who would destabilise and undermine democracy."

Mr Zardari, the husband of the late Benazir Bhutto who has governed Pakistan for eight turbulent months, promised to "stand shoulder to shoulder against this cancer, this threat" of terrorism with his "dear brother" Mr Karzai and Washington. >>> By Alex Spillius in Washington | Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Le Pakistan, "la guerre" d'Obama
leJDD.fr: Barack Obama reçoit mercredi les présidents afghan, Hamid Karzaï, et pakistanais, Asif Ali Zardari. Les trois hommes participeront à un sommet tripartite sur la situation régionale. Objectif pour le président américain: préciser sa stratégie de lutte contre Al-Qaïda dans un contexte de renforcement des taliban. Pour leJDD.fr, Karim Pakzad*, spécialiste de la région à l'Iris, explique les enjeux.

Le Pakistan et l'Afghanistan en sommet... à Washington. Sur deux jours, mercredi et jeudi, Barack Obama recevra séparément - et pour la première fois depuis son arrivée à la Maison blanche - l'Afghan Hamid Karzaï et le Pakistanais Asif Ali Zardari, avant de les réunir pour un sommet tripartite sur la situation régionale, rendez-vous institué par George W. Bush il y a trois ans. Le contexte est particulier: côté américain, la nouvelle administration a fait de l'Afghanistan une priorité ; côté afghan, le pays se prépare à l'élection présidentielle du 20 août ; côté pakistanais, les taliban paraissent plus fort que jamais et les combats se rapprochent de la capitale. Lors de ces tête-à-tête, Barack Obama espère convaincre Kaboul et Islamabad, dont les relations ne sont pas toujours évidentes, de l'utilité d'une démarche régionale pour vaincre Al-Qaïda. >>> Propos recueillis par Marianne ENAULT, leJDD.fr | Mardi 05 Mai 2009

President of Pakistan Calls Sarah Palin 'Gorgeous'
The President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, thinks Sarah Palin is gorgeous. And he’s told her so! Photo courtesy of The Telegraph. Click on the photo to play music.
THE TELEGRAPH BLOGS: The President of Pakistan has become the first world leader to indicate that Sarah Palin's physical charms could have significant diplomatic potential in office.

A pool report from CNN shows that during the "grip and grin" photo op between Sarah Palin and Asif Ali Zardari at the UN, the president of Pakistan could not conceal his admiration for the Republican VP nominee. Mr Zardari, who was widowed but nine months ago, called her "gorgeous" and made it clear he was happy to carry on gripping for some time.

What could she have got away with asking for? Unfettered US military access to Waziristan? Osama bin Laden's head on a plate before election day?

Mrs Palin has been taking her gorgeousness around New York all week, meeting dignitaries including Hamid Karzai, Henry Kissinger and Mikheil Saakashvili as the McCain campaign has attempted to demonstrate she is capable of acting on the world stage. President of Pakistan Calls Sarah Palin 'Gorgeous' >>> By Alex Spillius | September 25, 2008

NDTV.COM:
Islamabad: Fatwa against Zardari for 'Flirting' with Palin: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari seems to be heading towards fresh trouble as the prayer leader of the Lal Masjid in the heart of Islamabad has issued a fatwa against him.

Maulana Abdul Ghafar, the prayer leader, seems to be irked by Zardari's "you're gorgeous" compliment to US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin during a meeting.

When Zardari was asked to keep shaking hands with Palin for the cameras, he said, "If he's (the aide) insisting, I might hug you."

He said the act was un-Islamic and unbecoming of a head of state of a Muslim country.

Maulana also said that Zardari shamed the entire Pakistani by publicly making indecent gestures towards Palin in Washington last Thursday. >>> NDTV Correspondent | September 29, 2008

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Pakistani President: The “Cancer” of Terrorism
Watch BBC video: Eyewitness Dirome Antony describes the moment the bomb struck >>>
BBC: Pakistan's president has pledged to fight the "cancer" of terrorism after a suicide bomb killed at least 40 people in the capital, Islamabad.

In a televised speech, Asif Ali Zardari appealed to "all democratic forces" to help to save Pakistan.

The bomb, at the Marriott Hotel, left a 20ft (6m) crater. The hotel owner said a lorry blew up as it was being checked by security at the entrance.

US President George W Bush condemned the attack and pledged assistance.

He said it was a "reminder of the ongoing threat faced by Pakistan, the United States, and all those who stand against violent extremism".

He said the US would "assist Pakistan in confronting this threat and bringing the perpetrators to justice".

'Tonne of explosives'

The blast destroyed the entire front section of the hotel and brought down the ceiling of the banqueting hall.

Witnesses described a scene of horror as blood-covered bodies were pulled from the wreckage and guests and staff ran for cover from shattered glass. Terror Pledge after Pakistan Bomb >>> | September 20, 2008

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