Obama: 'Nothing new' in Wikileaks Afghan records leak

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

BBC News - Obama: 'Nothing new' in Wikileaks Afghan records leak

Barack Obama has said that the leaking of classified documents on the war in Afghanistan is a concern, but that it had not revealed any new information.

In his first public reaction to the leak, the US president said the data justified his decision to overhaul the US military strategy in Afghanistan.

Wikileaks, which posted the documents on its website, describes them as battlefield and intelligence reports.

New details, including reports on Osama Bin Laden have emerged from the files.

Several files track Bin Laden, although the US has said it had received no reliable information on him "in years".


"While I am concerned about the disclosure of sensitive information from the battlefield that could potentially jeopardise individuals or operations, the fact is these documents do not reveal any issues that have not already informed our public debate on Afghanistan," Mr Obama said at a press conference in Washington.

"Indeed they point to the same challenges that led me to conduct an extensive review of our policy last fall."

"For seven years, we failed to implement a strategy adequate to the challenge in this region," he added, pointing out that it was from Afghanistan that the 11 September attacks on New York and Washington and other terror plots originated.

"That's why we have substantially increased our commitment there, insisted upon greater accountability from Afghanistan and Pakistan, developed a new strategy that can work. Now we have to see that strategy through."

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Washington (CNN) -- Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry said Tuesday the importance of Afghanistan war documents leaked by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.org should not be overstated.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Canada also discredits Wiki leakis

OTTAWA - Canadian soldiers died at the hands of Taliban fighters not friendly fire the military declared on Tuesday.

Among the thousands of documents released by the website Wikileaks.org is an American field report that appears to claim the deaths of four Canadian soldiers in September 2006 happened after an American plane dropped a bomb on them.

The field notes, released along with thousands of other documents about the Afghan war, detail an American bombing that occurred as Canadians were fighting to take a school house filled with Taliban fighters in the Khandahar region.

“Casualties 4x CDN KIA 4X CDN WIA,” reads the raw data report.

Contacts inside the military say they're furious with what they call “sensationalized reporting,” in particular at the CBC, which played up the possibility the military had misled the public.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s relationship with the United States, and its pivotal role in Afghanistan, is unlikely to be changed by leaked reports about its support for the Taliban, and the ensuing uproar they caused at home and in Washington.

Published by the anti-war website WikiLeaks, the almost 77,000 classified U.S. military reports only tangentially deal with Pakistan and the involvement of its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency in the nine-year Afghan insurgency.

The documents detail allegations that U.S. forces sought to cover up civilian deaths as well as U.S. concern that Pakistan secretly aided Taliban militants even as it took billions of dollars in U.S. aid.

“There hasn’t been any strong reaction from the U.S. administration towards Pakistan,” said Rasul Bakhsh Rais, a political analyst at Lahore University of Management Sciences.

“Rather, they are saying that it is unfortunate that this has been leaked, it is about the past. It has not really portrayed the current situation and nature of the relationship between Pakistan and the United States.”

The Obama administration sees nuclear-armed Pakistan as a key player in the struggle against militant Islamist groups within its borders and also in neighbouring Afghanistan, especially as it sets the stage to start withdrawing troops from there by 2011.

Pakistan is seen as essential to convincing some Taliban factions to end their battle in Afghanistan, a major issue in U.S. politics as President Barack Obama sends 30,000 more soldiers into the battle to break the Taliban insurgency.

While U.S. officials have long been wary about the role Pakistan is playing in Afghanistan, and believe it could do more to fight its own homegrown Taliban, they stressed the leaked documents would have no effect on ties.

Shortly after the documents were made public, the U.S. embassy in Islamabad on Monday issued a statement by National Security Adviser James Jones pledging support for Pakistan.

“These irresponsible leaks will not impact our ongoing commitment to deepen our partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan; to defeat our common enemies; and to support the aspirations of the Afghan and Pakistani people,” Jones said.


“And the Pentagon doesn’t want to disturb its relationship with the high command.”

Pakistan is set to receive $7.5 billion in civilian aid — and an unspecified of military aid — over the next five years.

 

[SMC]

Nothing will come out of this.

As usual, the Indians will try to make hot air out of it along with the western media but a few weeks later it will be history. That's the story of all allegations against the ISI. LSE episode repeated.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

I think Pakistan US relations are moving in right direction , as both nations have crossed some barriers to move in right direction



And obviously we have to keep in mind Hilary Clinton's recent aid package to help civilian democratic institudes in Pakistan and help educational schools around the areas worse effected by war.

From our stand point we want to move ahead - in right direction that is our national interest and I hope we can launch a joint mission of grand scale in Afghanisatan

 

[Agni 5]

Well... for Obama nothing is new. He know everything.

For American public it is new info.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Well... for Obama nothing is new. He know everything.

For American public it is new info.

Well if you compile all stories from 2000 and make a catalog does not mean NOTHING ...! And most of the stories are not even accurate , as most armes Canadian, US , and Nato have already pointed out various mistakes in reports

What matters is Pakistan/US are NATO allies , and Russian precense in Afghanistan is not , and will not be toloreted

So its great to know Mr Obama agrees on the direction we started to move in last few months !!

We trust the forigne policy - which US discussed with us privatly as an Ally of NATO -
And it also help develop solidify the trust we developed working side by side to fight against Terrorism that is in Afghanistan/and also present locally due to suicide bombings in our cities

Both nations have solid understanding on all matters - provide by recent visit of Hilary Clinton - and various projects initiated by US to help out population in Pakistan

There may have been some midunderstanding but , clearly we have started to move in positive direction , and we know exactly what to do with Afghanistan


************ F.A.C.T

Last October, Secretary Clinton announced the first phase of the U.S. Signature Energy Program for Pakistan, which is designed to help reduce blackouts that have plagued Pakistani cities and communities by increasing electricity generation, improving sector management, and introducing more efficient methods for utilizing electricity. On her most recent trip, Secretary Clinton announced the second phase, which includes the completion of 2 hydroelectric dam projects that will supply electricity to more than 280,000 people in South Waziristan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Secretary also announced a new Signature Water Program for Pakistan, which includes rebuilding the municipal water systems for Peshawar and Jacobabad. In Southern Punjab the U.S. will work with local governments to ensure that people have safe drinking water and basic services. The U.S. will also build water storage systems for Satpara dam to supply 3 million gallons of clean drinking water per day and for the Gomal Zam dam which will irrigate more than 76,890 hectares, reaching 30,000 farming families.

On the economic front, the government of Pakistan has enacted some important reforms in order to attract foreign investment and encourage business. Now, said Secretary Clinton, Pakistan "face(s) some hard choices, such as tax reforms that are needed to put Pakistan on the path to long-term economic prosperity."

Large numbers of young Pakistanis are seeking more economic opportunities. To that end, the U.S. will invest 100 million $ over the next 5 years to expand access to credit for small and medium size enterprises. And through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S. will provide 50 million $ to leverage private equity investments in innovation and technology projects in Pakistan.

 

[Agni 5]

^^^ shaking hands is common.... Here is the pic of sadam hussain with US secretory of state

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Looking forward to new developments announced by US - Pakistan you can burn make sure take some heart burn pills

And make sure you guard our athletes from any terror attacks in India - We tolorated the attacks on Srilankan cricket team - but any more will mean serious consequences

We never released the official findings in 'that incident'

 

[Agni 5]

Looking forward to new developments announced by US - Pakistan you can burn make sure take some heart burn pills

And make sure you guard our athletes from any terror attacks in India - We tolorated the attacks on Srilankan cricket team - but any more will mean serious consequences

We never released the official findings in 'that incident'

For that matter pakistan not even released official finding of Benajir butto murder.

new US - Pakistan development.. May be extending drone coverage area !

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

For that matter pakistan not even released official finding of Benajir butto murder.

new US - Pakistan development.. May be extending drone coverage area !

We are not afraid of drones, we have an understanding that if we are going after a snake , we would prefer if we go in together to kill the SNAKE. Please understand , Ms Benazir did her part for democracy, and we understand her sacrifice.

We understand why this document was specifically released at such a crucial time right after Ms Clinton's visit ...and who might have released it

US and Pakistan have developed a broad stategy to deal with trouble makers and we all know who they are.

And when we are discussing things face to face, we don't need unofficial unauthenticated document be the basis of our forigne policy.

Also Mr Obama head of state has clearified all aspects clearly so there is no misunderstanding -

Srilankan bus attack was a response to mumbai attacks, and the fact we never disclosed it probbly was becasue we wanted to persue peace efforts. I would still prefer that if serves our national interest we do not open that pandora's box. Unlike Indian media we opted for a rational approach -

Perhaps same rouge element or connection with RAW we don't know

But for the moment - we are focused on taking Pakistan US relations to next level. I am sorry if it hurts you but it will only hurt more in upcoming years. We are not focused on India - and I don't think we need to worry about India as they have different agenda

We are focused on war against terrorism

 

[Agni 5]

We are not afraid of drones, we have an understanding that if we are going after a snake , we would prefer if we go in together to kill the SNAKE. Please understand , Ms Benazir did her part for democracy, and we understand her sacrifice.

US and Pakistan have developed a broad stategy to deal with trouble makers and we all know who they are.

And when we are discussing things face to face, we don't need unofficial unauthenticated document be the basis of our forigne policy.

Also Mr Obama head of state has clearified all aspects clearly so there is no misunderstanding -

Srilankan bus attack was a response to mumbai attacks, and the fact we never disclosed it probbly was becasue we wanted to persue peace efforts. I would still prefer that if serves our national interest we do not open that pandora's box

Perhaps same rouge element or connection with RAW we don't know

But for the moment - we are focused on taking Pakistan US relations to next level. I am sorry if it hurts you but it will only hurt more in upcoming years.

This will be the next level.

US Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton Repeats Warning To Pakistan | Buzzy Times

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants Pakistan to do more to check extremists and has warned of consequences if a terrorist attack is traced back to that country.

Reality is hard to digest...

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Well we will talk again once the drone technology is transfered to us

By the way make sure you keep your nationality , you never know what all russian spies will be kicked out of USA for espionage

 

[DesiGuy]

Looking forward to new developments announced by US - Pakistan you can burn make sure take some heart burn pills

And make sure you guard our athletes from any terror attacks in India - We tolorated the attacks on Srilankan cricket team - but any more will mean serious consequences

We never released the official findings in 'that incident'

Now, that's the Spirit. I say Keep it up!!!! I know, you will not back up this time otherwise AZADPAKISTAN2009 will eat his words.

Right, AZADPAKISTAN2009?