Clinton Says Pakistan Told of Terror ‘Consequences’

[tekisui]

Source: Bloomberg/CBS

May 7 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. officials have told Pakistan it would face “severe consequences” if locally based militants succeeded in attacking the U.S., Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a “60 Minutes” television interview.

Clinton said Pakistan has increased its cooperation with the U.S. in the fight against militants along its border with Afghanistan. Even so, the attempted car bombing of New York’s Times Square has prompted U.S. concerns, she said.

“We’ve made it very clear that if -- heaven forbid -- an attack like this that we can trace back to Pakistan were to have been successful, there would be very severe consequences,”Clinton said, according to excerpts of an interview released today by CBS. The segment will air May 9.

Law enforcement authorities say the failed car bomb attempt last week was the work of Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized American citizen who was born in Pakistan and says he had terrorist training there.

more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-07/clinton-says-pakistan-told-of-terror-consequences-update1-.html

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Hear that? It sounds like war drums.

[orion007]

1. She's just blowing hot air, same as she does to Israel and North Korea

[tekisui]

2. Gates is ready:

Earlier, Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the US was prepared to increase military assistance to Pakistan.

"We're willing to do as much... as they are willing to accept," he told reporters. "We are prepared to do training, and exercise with them. How big that operation becomes is really up to them."

But he played down the chances of an extended crackdown on militants, saying Pakistani forces were already "thinly stretched".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8669512.stm

[gateley]

3. I fear that these days, we speak loudly but carry a little stick. I'm not sure how

much power the U.S. wields any longer. Regardless, Hillary said the right thing.

[karynnj]

11. I disagree and think Hillary could have worded things far better

The government in Pakistan is fragile and it is the best hope of Pakistan moving to become a more reasonable country. Although the various terrorist groups, especially those against India, have been given too much tolerance by the government, they have started to move against terrorist groups more than they ever have in the past. Now, as in any country in that area, the President is not exactly George Washington. He is though the husband of Benazair Bhutto, who was murdered when seeking to replace Musharaff.

There have been no links to the Pakistani government in this case. In fact, the only quotes linked him to the Pakistani Taliban that the government is fighting. Their fight has resulted in millions of internally displaced people fleeing the fighting. As it was, last year, the Pakistanis were unhappy with the constraints put in Kerry/Lugar/Berman - even though the requirements were on the US State department to monitor and report on how the money was spent.

Their resentment and anger on that reflects their sensitivity to criticism. That, of course, does not mean that we should not criticize. Here, though, saying that Pakistan has been working hard with the US to deal with the Pakistani Taliban and that we need to support them in their actions against this and other terrorist groups would have been better.

The man was living in CT. He MIGHT have gotten training from the Pakistani Taliban that Pakistan is fighting - incurring huge political and economic costs. Think how you would react to Clinton's comment if you were Pakistani and in the government or allied with it.

She could make stronger comments asking them to investigate who is anyone in Pakistan did anything to help.

[gateley]

14. You present an excellent argument -- and I agree with you. Asking them to

investigate would have been much better. Although sometimes I think officials are "supposed" to sound strong and tough, it does kind of smack of Bush/Cheney.

[lib2DaBone]

4. Last month Hillary was in Iran making threats .....

She loves those war drums....

[MyNameGoesHere]

7. You do know that she

receives her marching orders from her boss right? Do you really think the president would let her go off the reservation and make comments like this without approval and vetting? Try putting the blame where it belongs.

[tekisui]

5. am kick

[Karmadillo]

6. Thank heavens there aren't "severe consequences" imposed for our terror attacks.

nt

[tekisui]

8. I guess I missed when Pakistan attacked us.

[Karmadillo]

9. Did I write that Pakistan attacked us?

nt

[tekisui]

10. Pakistan was warned.

We weren't attacked by Pakistan, and likely not by any terrorist organization there.

It seems to be a lone-wolf who happens to be originally from Pakistan, but is a US citizen.

[karynnj]

12. The point is why was the government of Pakistan publicly warned?

Given what you say and considering that the Pakistani government is fighting the Taliban.

[tekisui]

13. That is my question...and fear.

It seems very much like 'with us or against us' marching to war.