Blinken says US will assess Pakistan ties over Afghanistan's future

[AZMwi]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will be looking at its relationship with Pakistan in the coming weeks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, to formulate what role Washington would want it play in the future of Afghanistan.

In the first public hearing in Congress about Afghanistan since last month s collapse of the US-backed Afghan government, Blinken told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that Pakistan has a "multiplicity of interests some that are in conflict with ours."

"It is one that is involved hedging its bets constantly about the future of Afghanistan, it s one that s involved harboring members of the Taliban ... It is one that s also involved in different points cooperation with us on counterterrorism," Blinken said.

Asked by lawmakers if it is time for Washington to reassess its relationship with Pakistan, Blinken said the administration would soon be doing that.

"This is one of the things we re going to be looking at in the days, and weeks ahead - the role that Pakistan has played over the last 20 years but also the role we would want to see it play in the coming years and what it will take for it to do that," he said.

The United States withdrawal from Afghanistan culminated with a hastily organized airlift that left thousands of US-allied Afghans behind and was punctuated by a suicide bombing outside Kabul s airport that killed 13 U.S. troops and scores of Afghans.

The United States and Western countries are in a difficult balancing act in the aftermath of the Taliban s victory - reluctant to recognize the Islamist group while accepting the reality that they will have to engage with them to prevent a looming humanitarian crisis.

Pakistan has had deep ties with the Taliban and has been accused of supporting the group as it battled the US-backed government in Kabul for 20 years - charges denied by Islamabad.

It is also considered as one of the two countries, along with Qatar, with the most influence over the Taliban, and a place where many senior Taliban leaders were thought to have escaped to after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Blinken says US will assess Pakistan ties over Afghanistan's future

US Secretary of State said US will be looking at its relationship with Pakistan in the coming weeks.

dunyanews.tv

 

[Falconless]

 

[El Sidd]

what it will take for it to do that," he said.

To do exactly what?

"multiplicity of interests some that are in conflict with ours."

Then align yours to match Pakistan's would be much simpler since American policies keep changing while Pakistani policy over Afghanistan has remained the same since inception of ties between the two countries.

 

[Falconless]

If the Taliban announce a billion dollar deal with the US for weapons, they would become America’s number one ally in the war of terror overnight.

America has no morals and no set diplomatic goals and values, it’s a lumbering giant kicking the planet around for the sake of it.

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

We should convince America to start a new nation building project in Georgia, Armenia or Romania.

Another 10 years of nation building and U.S will be bankrupt lol

 

[TigerOfMysore]

Here comes the reassessment ! I had called this to happen 10 years ago. Was late by 10 years, but with the US out of region, watch the area get super hot, with PTM, Pashtunistan, Balouch Liberation. Here it comes: (Pakistan needs to be ruthless or else this tiger's tail will be difficult to hold on to)

Could Washington Support Balochistan Independence?

The possibility that a future American administration may try a “Kuwait” solution with Balochistan is growing.

nationalinterest.org

 

[Ghessan]

although everyone knows about Bush but i would like people to watch the movie "Vice" about Dick Cheney and Bush just to access what was going on at that time.

and soon the world will realize how sick is the lot of people sitting in the white house in current tenure and will praise good for nothing, Obama.

they started this war, they put burden on us, they explore every bit of Kabul, develop it for their own living for twenty years. left billions of dollars of armament with this barking dog to do the rest of the job for which he is hired.

Pakistan if now, does not take a stand and keep things workable for themselves, US is again going to unload all it's filth on it. Mofa has a lot to do but wisely. it is not that every time we expect some goodies, this thought process must change, just do it for the standing among the nations and do not scapegoat them.

 

[PradoTLC]

US is too late and Pakistan doesn’t really care.

good luck to them

 

[SD 10]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will be looking at its relationship with Pakistan in the coming weeks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, to formulate what role Washington would want it play in the future of Afghanistan.

In the first public hearing in Congress about Afghanistan since last month s collapse of the US-backed Afghan government, Blinken told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee that Pakistan has a "multiplicity of interests some that are in conflict with ours."

"It is one that is involved hedging its bets constantly about the future of Afghanistan, it s one that s involved harboring members of the Taliban ... It is one that s also involved in different points cooperation with us on counterterrorism," Blinken said.

Asked by lawmakers if it is time for Washington to reassess its relationship with Pakistan, Blinken said the administration would soon be doing that.

"This is one of the things we re going to be looking at in the days, and weeks ahead - the role that Pakistan has played over the last 20 years but also the role we would want to see it play in the coming years and what it will take for it to do that," he said.

The United States withdrawal from Afghanistan culminated with a hastily organized airlift that left thousands of US-allied Afghans behind and was punctuated by a suicide bombing outside Kabul s airport that killed 13 U.S. troops and scores of Afghans.

The United States and Western countries are in a difficult balancing act in the aftermath of the Taliban s victory - reluctant to recognize the Islamist group while accepting the reality that they will have to engage with them to prevent a looming humanitarian crisis.

Pakistan has had deep ties with the Taliban and has been accused of supporting the group as it battled the US-backed government in Kabul for 20 years - charges denied by Islamabad.

It is also considered as one of the two countries, along with Qatar, with the most influence over the Taliban, and a place where many senior Taliban leaders were thought to have escaped to after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Blinken says US will assess Pakistan ties over Afghanistan's future

US Secretary of State said US will be looking at its relationship with Pakistan in the coming weeks.

dunyanews.tv

our ties are normal as long as united states need something and our people starts jumping around talking about goodies and stuff...Fanboys other than that its been long over!

 

[PakSarZameen47]

Here comes the reassessment ! I had called this to happen 10 years ago. Was late by 10 years, but with the US out of region, watch the area get super hot, with PTM, Pashtunistan, Balouch Liberation. Here it comes: (Pakistan needs to be ruthless or else this tiger's tail will be difficult to hold on to)

Could Washington Support Balochistan Independence?

The possibility that a future American administration may try a “Kuwait” solution with Balochistan is growing.

nationalinterest.org

They already have done this though

 

[Dalit]

The Americans are bluffing. They can't do much.

US is too late and Pakistan doesn’t really care.

good luck to them

We got what we wanted. The Americans have zero leverage now.

 

[waz]

Lol@Blinken the most lame Secretary of State ever.
No problem, it’s them who needs an avenue in, and no Qatar don’t cut it.

 

[IceCold]

Thanks but no thanks. We are not interested in this kind of transactional relationship where you continue to ses Pakistan through the lens of Afghanistan.

 

[Adecypher]

Allah SWT reham karey Pakistan ki awaam pe or hukmarano ko deenayi ata karey or (gherat bhi) takey woh dhoor andesh hosakein or mustaqbil mein aaney waley khatraat se nimatt sakein (Ameen)

 

[mudas777]

US is too late and Pakistan doesn’t really care.

good luck to them

Wish they can kick us out of the non NATO membership sooner then latter so they are left themselves with no straws. They want to start a new circus of "do more" with Pakistan all over again. US agreement in Doha is with Taliban not with us so US should open up their embassy in Kabul and have a direct blame game with them. We are not in NATO, QUAD or haven't got membership of any other clubs of black art. US must go and get a life and shack up with Modi and let us get on with ours.