Wait & See, What's in Store

Ban refrains from comment on Obama's hot pursuit statement

November 6th, 2008 - 12:53 am ICT by IANS

United Nations, Nov 5 (IANS) UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday refrained from commenting on US president-elect Barack Obama's election campaign statements about hot pursuit of terrorists inside Pakistan."I would refrain from making any positions on the part of the United Nations on any specific issues involving the questions that you have raised," Ban told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York when specifically asked about the world body's position on Obama's statements.

During his campaign Obama said if the US had any actionable intelligence on the presence of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan, his administration would go ahead and strike out such places inside Pakistani territories
with or without Pakistani consent.

The UN secretary general hoped that the president-elect would engage various leaders of the world and also parties to the conflicts and problems.

"I am sure that will help in accelerating and making progress in the resolution of the issues. That is what I hope," Ban said.

Referring to the statements made by Obama during his election campaign, Ban said: "I understand that he values highly the resolution of all conflict issues through dialogue."

The president-elect has expressed publicly that he is willing to meet anybody, any country - so that will provide a good opportunity for not only the US but the UN as a whole to resolve all the issues through dialogue.

"I also expect that the United States will take a more active participation in all United Nations organizations and activities," Ban said.

Source: The Indian

Obama vows to smoke Osama out of Pakistan

NEW DELHI: US presidential Democrat candidate Barack Obama rhetoric against Islamabad got shriller as he called Pakistan the central front of terrorism and favoured unilateral action against terror hubs in the country.

Reiterating his earlier stand of supporting hot pursuit into Pakistan, Mr Obama said at the second presidential debate of the US elections that if Islamabad is 'unable or unwilling' to take militants out, then the US should go after the targets into Pakistan.
"If we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act and we will take them out," said Mr Obama, who is pulling ahead of his rival John McCain according to recent polls.

He further said that wiping out the al Qaeda network and killing Osama bin Laden should be on top of US security policy. "We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al Qaeda, that has to be our biggest national security priority," he said.

The terror modules operating out of Pakistan and carrying out attacks in Afghanistan have become a major foreign policy concern of the US administration. This was also reflected in the presidential debate between Mr Obama and Mr McCain where Pakistan was a hotly debated topic.

Mr McCain, however, stuck to his earlier position on tackling terrorism saying that unilateral action in Pakistan would only alienate the people of the country. He further criticised Mr Obama for announcing war on Pakistan.

"We need to get them to work with us and turn against the Taliban and others... By coordinating our efforts together, not threatening to attack them," Mr McCain said. He added that hot pursuit would only lead to public opinion against the US growing stronger.

"Our relations with Pakistan are critical because the border areas are being used as a safe haven by the Taliban and al Qaeda. We need to help the Pakistan government go into Waziristan and get support of the people to turn against the cruel Taliban by working and coordinating not threatening to attack them, and use force where necessary but talk softly and carry a big stick," he said.

Even the Bush administration, which counts Pakistan as among its closest allies, has been following the policy of hot pursuit. Frustrated with Islamabad's inability and disinclination to take tough measures to stamp out terror in the FATA region, the US gone ahead with unilateral military operations on Pakistani soil.

Mr Zardari made a mention it in his UNGA speech saying that unilateral action "should not inflame the passions of allies". He had also said that this kind of action would alienate the people of Pakistan. But Mr Obama position on Pakistan should satisfy the Indian establishment which otherwise has always felt a closer affinity to Mr McCain.

Source: Economic Times/India Times

Obama vows to 'kill' Osama, targets Pakistan

Washington, October 8: : In a sharp attack on Pakistan's inability to curb terrorism, Democratic White House nominee Barack Obama clashed with his Republican rival John McCain over the issue and stumped him on Bush administration's 'failed' policies on Iraq and economy, edging past the Vietnam war veteran in yet another free-flowing debate.

"We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al-Qaeda, that has to be our biggest national security priority," 47-year-old Obama said during the testy 90-minute debate, clearly showing his determination to act on his promise of hot pursuit of militants in Pakistan, a stand often criticised by McCain and that has raised hackles in Islamabad.

"If we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani Government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act and we will take them out," the Illinois Senator said during the second in a series of three debates between the Presidential hopefuls.

Obama tried to tie his Republican rival to President George W Bush's 'failed' policies, while McCain pushed his image as a 'consistent reformer' at the townhouse style standoff at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Responding to a question whether the US should respect Pakistani sovereignty and not pursue terrorists who maintain bases there, Obama said:

"It's a terrific question and we have a difficult situation in Pakistan."

Source: Indian Express

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