US President George W. Bush and Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat
Aziz agreed on Tuesday to work closely to defeat terrorism
following tensions over a US air-strike targeting al-Qaida members
in remote Pakistan that left civilians dead.
"The relationship with Pakistan is a vital relationship for the
US," Bush said at the White House. "I want to thank the prime
minister and thank the president for working closely with us on a
variety of issues. We're working closely to defeat the terrorists
that would like to harm America and harm Pakistan."
Pakistan has long been a staunch ally of the US, which has been
sparing no effort to liquidate militants loyal to the deposed the
Taliban regime and the notorious terrorist group al-Qaida.
Being a right hand in "war on terror," Pakistan has reportedly
transferred more than 700 terrorist suspects to US authorities.
However, relations between Islamabad and Washington have
deteriorated since the January 13 air-strike that killed 18
Pakistani civilians, including women and children. The fatal
attack, which destroyed three houses in the remote mountain hamlet
of Damadola near the Afghan border, was said to have targeted but
missed al-Qaida's No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri.
Bush has not publicly commented on the air raid, but Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf has said Washington had assured
Islamabad that it would not act against Pakistan's interests.
The attack prompted Pakistan to lodge a formal protest with
Washington and sparked anti-US demonstrations in several Pakistani
cities and towns.
Denouncing American violation of Pakistani sovereignty, Aziz
told CNN on Sunday that such attacks should be cleared with the
Pakistani government before they are carried out.
Thanks to great restraint by the Pakistani government in dealing
with the incident, Pakistanis' strong and hostile sentiments toward
Americans were eased before they got out of control.
On Monday, legislators in northwest Pakistan adopted a
resolution, urging the Pakistani government to seek a UN Security
Council condemnation of the incident, and demanding an apology from
Washington. But Pakistani Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Tasnim
Aslam told a briefing that the government would neither expel US
Ambassador Ryan Crocker nor seek any apology from Washington.
"We have not sought an apology, but we have made it very clear
to the US authorities that security inside Pakistan is the
government of Pakistan's business," she said.
Besides, Aziz's Tuesday remarks demonstrated a clearer Pakistani
attitude toward Washington.
Speaking briefly to reporters after meeting with Bush, Aziz
said, "The US and Pakistan have a multifaceted relationship
covering a host of areas ... and the people of Pakistan value the
relationship very much."
"Terrorism knows no borders," he said. "So our coalition with
the US in fighting terrorism is very important to all of the world
and all of civil society."
"We are looking forward to President Bush's visit to Pakistan to
carry this dialogue forward," he said. Bush has said he will travel
to India and Pakistan in March.
It was generally believed that the basis of closer ties between
Pakistan and the US lies first in common understanding of the
necessity to wage a war on terror.
In terms of American global strategy, the Bush administration,
which is now in its second term, has become more eager than ever
before to root out terrorists who are based upon the mountainous
regions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2006)
