Thursday, February 23, 2012
U.S. apologises to Karzai for Bagram incident
From The Hindu
The United States has expressed deep regret at the Koran-burning incidents at Bagram, Afghanistan, with Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta saying, “I apologise to the Afghan people and disapprove of such conduct in the strongest possible terms. These actions do not represent the views of the U.S. military.”
According to reports copies of the Koran were “inadvertently” incinerated at Bagram airbase after alleged suspicions that “Taliban prisoners were using the books to pass messages to each other.”
‘Unfortunate'
Mr. Panetta said that International Security Assistance Force Commander General John Allen had notified him of the “deeply unfortunate incident involving the inappropriate treatment of religious materials, including the Koran, at Bagram Airbase,” on Tuesday.
General Allen and U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton Carter called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday to apologise again for the incident at Bagram airbase, the President's office said.
Pointing out that the U.S. soldiers “honour and respect the religious practices of the Afghan people, without exception,” Mr. Panetta said that he supported General Allen's swift and decisive action to investigate this matter jointly with the Afghan government and would ensure that the U.S. took “all steps necessary and appropriate so that this never happens again.”
His sentiments were echoed by remarks made by White House Spokesman Jay Carney, who said at a media briefing, “We apologise to the Afghan people and disapprove of such conduct in the strongest possible terms.” He also described the incident as “regrettable.”
The United States has expressed deep regret at the Koran-burning incidents at Bagram, Afghanistan, with Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta saying, “I apologise to the Afghan people and disapprove of such conduct in the strongest possible terms. These actions do not represent the views of the U.S. military.”
According to reports copies of the Koran were “inadvertently” incinerated at Bagram airbase after alleged suspicions that “Taliban prisoners were using the books to pass messages to each other.”
‘Unfortunate'
Mr. Panetta said that International Security Assistance Force Commander General John Allen had notified him of the “deeply unfortunate incident involving the inappropriate treatment of religious materials, including the Koran, at Bagram Airbase,” on Tuesday.
General Allen and U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton Carter called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday to apologise again for the incident at Bagram airbase, the President's office said.
Pointing out that the U.S. soldiers “honour and respect the religious practices of the Afghan people, without exception,” Mr. Panetta said that he supported General Allen's swift and decisive action to investigate this matter jointly with the Afghan government and would ensure that the U.S. took “all steps necessary and appropriate so that this never happens again.”
His sentiments were echoed by remarks made by White House Spokesman Jay Carney, who said at a media briefing, “We apologise to the Afghan people and disapprove of such conduct in the strongest possible terms.” He also described the incident as “regrettable.”
Labels: Afghanistan, Bagram, Hamid Karzai, U.S.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Mullen predicts more violence in Afghanistan in 2011
From The Hindu
The United States needs to prepare itself for “more violence and more casualties in coming months,” in Afghanistan, according to Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who also predicted that “The violence will be worse in 2011 than it was in 2010.”
Speaking to journalists at the State Department’s Foreign Press Centre on Wednesday Admiral Mullen said that while the prognosis for even more bloodshed in Afghanistan may be difficult to accept, the longer-term solution would require the U.S. to support an Afghan political process that would include reconciliation with those Taliban fighters who broke off with al Qaeda, renounced violence and accepted the Afghan constitution.
Emphasising a political solution over a military one to the region’s problems, the Admiral argued that U.S. forces remained committed to beginning a “conditions-based withdrawal of American forces in July of 2011 with a goal endorsed by NATO in the Lisbon Summit of being able to fully transition security responsibilities to Afghan forces by 2014.”
He reaffirmed public statements made by Obama administration officials earlier, suggesting that the U.S.’ military presence would diminish in the country from that point onwards even though the task of ensuring that it was supplanted by sufficient Afghan governance capacity continued to remain “severe.”
The Admiral further underscored the importance of action by Pakistan to shut down terrorist safe havens along the Durand Line, saying, “It is absolutely critical that the safe havens in Pakistan get shut down. We cannot succeed in Afghanistan without that.”
Touching upon recent meetings with his counterpart in Pakistan General Ashfaq Kayani, Admiral Mullen said, “He has evolved his military against this threat. This threat is evolving as well, because it’s not just Haqqani Network anymore, or al Qaeda, or Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban, or Lashkar-e-Taiba, it is all of them working together in ways that two years ago they absolutely did not.”
Pressing the point that “Pakistan is the epicenter of terrorism in the world right now,” he said that neighbouring countries in the region, including Russia, Iran and India, “all have responsibility and we all want to see this resolved as rapidly as possible.”
Labels: Afghanistan, Mike Mullen, violence
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
U.S. may announce end of Afghan combat operations by 2014
From The Hindu
The United States government is set to announce a plan to end its combat mission in Afghanistan by 2014, a goal that will require the gradual transfer of responsibility for security operations to Afghan forces over the next 18 to 24 months.
Government officials told the New York Times that a “phased four-year plan to wind down American and allied fighting in Afghanistan will be presented at a NATO summit meeting in Lisbon later this week.”
A similar announcement by the Obama administration, to begin a troop drawdown in Afghanistan by July 2011, came in for a barrage of criticism on the grounds that it could strengthen the hand of militants who might regroup after that date.
However the most recent plan, disclosed by unnamed government sources, followed closely on the heels of sharp criticism by Afghan President Hamid Karzai against the U.S.’ military presence in his country.
In an interview with the Washington Post over the weekend Mr. Karzai said “I think ten years is a long time to continue to have military operations. The time has come to reduce military operations. The time has come to reduce the presence of... boots in Afghanistan... to reduce the intrusiveness into the daily Afghan life.”
Describing night raids conducted by U.S. and other foreign troops on Afghan homes as “terrible,” Mr. Karzai lashed out at the U.S. military strategy as well, saying “The Afghan people do not like these raids in any manner. We do not like raids on our homes. This is a problem between us, and I hope this ends as soon as possible.”
General David Petraeus, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was reported to have expressed “astonishment and disappointment,” over Mr. Karzai’s comments, noting that they might make the General’s position “untenable.”
Mr. Karzai’s spokesman, Waheed Omer, however quickly clarified on Monday that Mr. Karzai’s critique was not intended to undermine confidence in General Petraeus, but rather was a sign of a “maturing partnership in which both sides are willing to speak frankly.”
The President’s words notwithstanding, it is the transfer responsibility to the still-developing Afghan security forces that is at the heart of the U.S. According to reports these local forces comprise approximately 264,000 men; and the goal is to raise this number to 350,000 by 2013.
The possibility of a 2014 handover appeared to be a hit with President Barack Obama’s Republican opposition, now holding a stronger hand of cards after a sweeping victory in the House of Representatives earlier this month.
Speaking to ABC's Christiane Amanpour Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said that 2014 was the more realistic date for a drawdown.
“I think in summer of 2011 we can bring some troops home but we are going to need a substantial number of troops in Afghanistan past that,” Senator Graham said, adding that 2014 was the year in which Mr. Karzai had said Afghans would be “in the lead.”
Labels: Afghanistan, combat operations, General David Petraeus, Hamid Karzai, U.S.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Meddling on in Afghanistan: U.S.
From The Hindu
The United States finds itself doing a precarious tightrope act between India and Pakistan this week, with the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue kicking off in Washington exactly two weeks ahead of President Barack Obama boarding a flight to India.
Nowhere was the tension more evident than in Wednesday's State Department briefing and, more specifically, on the subject of Afghanistan. At the briefing, Department spokesman P.J. Crowley hinted that Pakistan had been “meddling” in Afghanistan's politics and emphasied that India would continue to play a constructive role in Afghanistan.
Mr. Crowley's first salvo came in response to a question on whether countries such as India and Iran — and not just Pakistan — had a role in the ongoing reconciliation talks between the Hamid Karzai government in Afghanistan and the Taliban.
He responded, “We recognise Afghanistan's need to have a dialogue with its neighbours. We have had concerns about Iran's meddling in Afghanistan, just as we have had concerns about other countries meddling in Afghanistan,” a likely reference to Pakistan.
Suggesting that Pakistan's earlier support to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan might still rankle in the U.S.' memory, Mr. Crowley noted: “To the extent that the Taliban once ruled Afghanistan, there were a small number of countries that recognised that government. Pakistan was one of them.”
However, Mr. Crowley said that “to the extent that the solution to Afghanistan does involve a regional solution”, the U.S. recognised countries like India “had an interest in a stable Afghanistan and can play a constructive role”.
To reach that regional solution, dialogue was essential and hence, the U.S. was engaging Afghanistan's key neighbours to build effective, sustainable relationships across the region.
This was one of the reasons why Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke had talked about the importance of the transit trade agreement — an agreement that would improve trade between India and Afghanistan routed through Pakistan.
There was a clear message to the visiting Pakistani delegation in Washington as well. Mr. Crowley said: “We have made no secret of the fact that we've told Pakistan clearly that we believe that the existential threat to Pakistan is not India; the existential threat to Pakistan involves extremism within its own borders.”
And, equally, a hint to India: “Likewise, we're having a similar conversation with a country like India. We believe that there the potential for cooperation certainly outweighs what might be perceptions about competition in the region.”
The State Department had also clearly determined that peace and stability in Afghanistan would not be feasible without Iran's contributions to the process. Notwithstanding the differences on nuclear politics, Mr. Crowley said, “we have not ruled out that there are overlapping areas of interest that we have with Iran with respect to a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. We are not ruling out that as an area of potential dialogue…”
The United States finds itself doing a precarious tightrope act between India and Pakistan this week, with the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue kicking off in Washington exactly two weeks ahead of President Barack Obama boarding a flight to India.
Nowhere was the tension more evident than in Wednesday's State Department briefing and, more specifically, on the subject of Afghanistan. At the briefing, Department spokesman P.J. Crowley hinted that Pakistan had been “meddling” in Afghanistan's politics and emphasied that India would continue to play a constructive role in Afghanistan.
Mr. Crowley's first salvo came in response to a question on whether countries such as India and Iran — and not just Pakistan — had a role in the ongoing reconciliation talks between the Hamid Karzai government in Afghanistan and the Taliban.
He responded, “We recognise Afghanistan's need to have a dialogue with its neighbours. We have had concerns about Iran's meddling in Afghanistan, just as we have had concerns about other countries meddling in Afghanistan,” a likely reference to Pakistan.
Suggesting that Pakistan's earlier support to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan might still rankle in the U.S.' memory, Mr. Crowley noted: “To the extent that the Taliban once ruled Afghanistan, there were a small number of countries that recognised that government. Pakistan was one of them.”
However, Mr. Crowley said that “to the extent that the solution to Afghanistan does involve a regional solution”, the U.S. recognised countries like India “had an interest in a stable Afghanistan and can play a constructive role”.
To reach that regional solution, dialogue was essential and hence, the U.S. was engaging Afghanistan's key neighbours to build effective, sustainable relationships across the region.
This was one of the reasons why Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke had talked about the importance of the transit trade agreement — an agreement that would improve trade between India and Afghanistan routed through Pakistan.
There was a clear message to the visiting Pakistani delegation in Washington as well. Mr. Crowley said: “We have made no secret of the fact that we've told Pakistan clearly that we believe that the existential threat to Pakistan is not India; the existential threat to Pakistan involves extremism within its own borders.”
And, equally, a hint to India: “Likewise, we're having a similar conversation with a country like India. We believe that there the potential for cooperation certainly outweighs what might be perceptions about competition in the region.”
The State Department had also clearly determined that peace and stability in Afghanistan would not be feasible without Iran's contributions to the process. Notwithstanding the differences on nuclear politics, Mr. Crowley said, “we have not ruled out that there are overlapping areas of interest that we have with Iran with respect to a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. We are not ruling out that as an area of potential dialogue…”
Labels: Afghanistan, Pakistan, President Barack Obama, State Department, U.S., US-Pak strategic dialogue
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
U.N. warning on child soldier facing Guantanamo trial
From The Hindu
Even as the United States proceeds this week to prosecute Omar Khadr, a child soldier held at the Guantanamo Bay prison, a top United Nations official has warned that this move would violate a statute of the International Criminal Court that no person under the age of 18 years should be tried for war crimes.
Mr. Khadr was arrested in Afghanistan in 2002 for allegedly throwing a grenade that killed a Delta Force medic, among other charges. He was said to have been 15 years old at the time.
Radhika Coomaraswamy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, noted that prosecutors in other international tribunals have used their discretion not to prosecute children, adding, “Since World War II, no child has been prosecuted for a war crime.”
Child soldiers are victims
Ms. Coomaraswamy also said that child soldiers ought to be treated primarily as victims and alternative procedures should aim at rehabilitation or restorative justice rather than trial and prosecution by military tribunals. She had earlier warned that Mr. Khadr’s prosecution would set a dangerous international precedent for other children who are victims of recruitment in armed conflicts.
She went on to urge the U.S. and Canada, of which country Mr. Khadr is a citizen, to come to “a mutually-acceptable solution on the future of Omar Khadr that would prevent him from being convicted of a war crime that he allegedly committed when he was child”.
According to reports, constitutional experts have said he should have been released “years ago” given his youth and “evidence that his family upbringing forced him to take up arms with Bin Laden”. Others were reported to have argued that he should be returned to Canada and reunited with his family and possibly face trial there in a civilian court.
The LA Times reported that since his capture, Mr. Khadr has brought allegations that the U.S. army tortured him, held him in harsh conditions and prevented him from contacting his family and attorneys. He said he had suffered “deep emotional distress and borderline mental illness”. However, a ruling by a military judge this week said that Mr. Khadr’s confessions in prison could be used against him and dismissed arguments that they were “tainted by mistreatment”.
Labels: Afghanistan, Guantanamo trial, International Criminal Court, U.N.
Friday, July 23, 2010
U.S. sanctions target Haqqani network
From The Hindu
Three key leaders and financiers for the Haqqani Network and the Taliban have been “designated” or targeted through sanctions for supporting acts of terrorism linked to the militant groups based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States Department of the Treasury announced this week.
The designation was made pursuant to Executive Order 13224, according to which the Treasury was authorised to target Gul Agha Ishakzai, the head of the Taliban’s financial commission; Amir Abdullah, former treasurer to senior Taliban leader Mullah Berader; and Nasiruddin Haqqani, an emissary for the Haqqani Network.
In targeting these three individuals, the Treasury noted that the Haqqani Network was a Taliban-affiliated group of militants operating out of North Waziristan Agency, and that “Pakistan and has been spearheading insurgent activity in Afghanistan”.
As per the latest Executive Order, the Treasury has effectively frozen all assets that the three individuals hold under U.S. jurisdiction. Further the Treasury may now prohibit any U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with them. Further the three individuals were also added to the United Nations 1267 Consolidated List on July 19, 2010, for being associated with Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban, the Treasury said in a statement.
Commenting on the designation Adam Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, said, “Today’s designation of three senior leaders and financiers for the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani Network builds upon Treasury’s longstanding efforts to deprive these extremists of the resources they need to execute their violent activities.”
He added that the U.S. would continue to aggressively work to expose and dismantle the financial networks of terrorist groups in support of President Barack Obama’s goal of a stable Afghanistan.
Background details provided
The Treasury also provided background details identifying information on the three individuals targeted.
Regarding Mr. Ishakzai, the Treasury said he was the head of the Taliban’s financial commission and part of a recently-created Taliban council that coordinated the collection of zakat — a tax sanctioned by Islamic law — from Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. The Treasury further noted that Mr. Ishakzai collected money for suicide attacks in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and has been involved in the disbursement of funds for Taliban fighters and their families.
Mr. Abdullah was said to have served as treasurer to senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Berader and was the former deputy to the Taliban governor of Kandahar Province. He was also charged with fundraising for the Taliban from numerous countries in the Middle East and in 2001 Mr. Abdullah reportedly “helped many senior Taliban members who fled Afghanistan settle in Pakistan”.
Finally Mr. Haqqani was regarded as a key leader of the Haqqani Network, being the brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, previously designated by the U.S. in March 2008. Nasiruddin Haqqani was said to function as “an emissary for the Haqqani Network and spends much of his time raising money”.
Three key leaders and financiers for the Haqqani Network and the Taliban have been “designated” or targeted through sanctions for supporting acts of terrorism linked to the militant groups based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States Department of the Treasury announced this week.
The designation was made pursuant to Executive Order 13224, according to which the Treasury was authorised to target Gul Agha Ishakzai, the head of the Taliban’s financial commission; Amir Abdullah, former treasurer to senior Taliban leader Mullah Berader; and Nasiruddin Haqqani, an emissary for the Haqqani Network.
In targeting these three individuals, the Treasury noted that the Haqqani Network was a Taliban-affiliated group of militants operating out of North Waziristan Agency, and that “Pakistan and has been spearheading insurgent activity in Afghanistan”.
As per the latest Executive Order, the Treasury has effectively frozen all assets that the three individuals hold under U.S. jurisdiction. Further the Treasury may now prohibit any U.S. persons from engaging in any transactions with them. Further the three individuals were also added to the United Nations 1267 Consolidated List on July 19, 2010, for being associated with Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban, the Treasury said in a statement.
Commenting on the designation Adam Szubin, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, said, “Today’s designation of three senior leaders and financiers for the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani Network builds upon Treasury’s longstanding efforts to deprive these extremists of the resources they need to execute their violent activities.”
He added that the U.S. would continue to aggressively work to expose and dismantle the financial networks of terrorist groups in support of President Barack Obama’s goal of a stable Afghanistan.
Background details provided
The Treasury also provided background details identifying information on the three individuals targeted.
Regarding Mr. Ishakzai, the Treasury said he was the head of the Taliban’s financial commission and part of a recently-created Taliban council that coordinated the collection of zakat — a tax sanctioned by Islamic law — from Baluchistan Province, Pakistan. The Treasury further noted that Mr. Ishakzai collected money for suicide attacks in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and has been involved in the disbursement of funds for Taliban fighters and their families.
Mr. Abdullah was said to have served as treasurer to senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Berader and was the former deputy to the Taliban governor of Kandahar Province. He was also charged with fundraising for the Taliban from numerous countries in the Middle East and in 2001 Mr. Abdullah reportedly “helped many senior Taliban members who fled Afghanistan settle in Pakistan”.
Finally Mr. Haqqani was regarded as a key leader of the Haqqani Network, being the brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, previously designated by the U.S. in March 2008. Nasiruddin Haqqani was said to function as “an emissary for the Haqqani Network and spends much of his time raising money”.
Labels: Afghanistan, Haqqani network, Taliban
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Accord to cancel Afghan debt
From The Hindu
The United States and other countries belonging to the Paris Club of creditors on Wednesday agreed to cancel debt owed by Afghanistan to its members. “Today's decision represents a great achievement for Afghanistan and reflects the international community's acknowledgment of the great strides the country has made in strengthening its economy”, said the U.S. State Department.
While the U.S. said lifting the debt burden inherited by the Afghan government marked a crucial step on Afghanistan's road to economic sustainability, the Paris Club added that Afghanistan had committed to allocate the resources freed by the present debt relief to priority areas identified in the country's poverty reduction strategy and to achieve Millennium Development Goals.
With the accord signed, Afghanistan, a member of the enhanced Heavily-Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, would see the implementation of “completion point treatment,” said the State Department. This implies the cancellation of an estimated $1.6 billion in debt from the Paris Club, as well as the IMF, World Bank and other creditors. As per the debt relief plan, this process will ultimately result in a “96 per cent reduction of the debt inherited by Afghanistan's government,” which was estimated at $11.6 billion in 2006.
After the debt cancellation, the Paris Club said it welcomed Afghanistan's commitment “to seek comparable treatment from all their other external creditors including other creditor countries”. Afghanistan further won praise from the Paris Club for its performance under an International Monetary Fund programme and its progress on implementing economic reforms in a “tremendously challenging” environment.
The breakthrough for Afghanistan comes after years of careful debt and macroeconomic management — since 2002 technical advisors worked with the Afghan Ministry of Finance to streamline the budget process, improve the payment system for government employees, restructure Afghanistan's debt, and establish a Debt Management Unit within the Ministry of Finance, according to official reports.
The Paris Club was formed in 1956. It is an informal group of creditor governments from major industrialized countries. The members of the Paris Club that participated in the restructuring of Afghanistan's debt were Germany, Russia and the U.S.
The United States and other countries belonging to the Paris Club of creditors on Wednesday agreed to cancel debt owed by Afghanistan to its members. “Today's decision represents a great achievement for Afghanistan and reflects the international community's acknowledgment of the great strides the country has made in strengthening its economy”, said the U.S. State Department.
While the U.S. said lifting the debt burden inherited by the Afghan government marked a crucial step on Afghanistan's road to economic sustainability, the Paris Club added that Afghanistan had committed to allocate the resources freed by the present debt relief to priority areas identified in the country's poverty reduction strategy and to achieve Millennium Development Goals.
With the accord signed, Afghanistan, a member of the enhanced Heavily-Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, would see the implementation of “completion point treatment,” said the State Department. This implies the cancellation of an estimated $1.6 billion in debt from the Paris Club, as well as the IMF, World Bank and other creditors. As per the debt relief plan, this process will ultimately result in a “96 per cent reduction of the debt inherited by Afghanistan's government,” which was estimated at $11.6 billion in 2006.
After the debt cancellation, the Paris Club said it welcomed Afghanistan's commitment “to seek comparable treatment from all their other external creditors including other creditor countries”. Afghanistan further won praise from the Paris Club for its performance under an International Monetary Fund programme and its progress on implementing economic reforms in a “tremendously challenging” environment.
The breakthrough for Afghanistan comes after years of careful debt and macroeconomic management — since 2002 technical advisors worked with the Afghan Ministry of Finance to streamline the budget process, improve the payment system for government employees, restructure Afghanistan's debt, and establish a Debt Management Unit within the Ministry of Finance, according to official reports.
The Paris Club was formed in 1956. It is an informal group of creditor governments from major industrialized countries. The members of the Paris Club that participated in the restructuring of Afghanistan's debt were Germany, Russia and the U.S.
Labels: Afghanistan, debt, Paris Club, United States
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Blake embarks on visit to India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
From The Hindu
He will also use the visit to conduct discussions with his counterparts in the Ministry of External Affairs “to prepare for the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in Washington in early summer,” according to a statement.
Mr. Blake’s visit to Afghanistan will revolve around meetings with embassy officials in Kabul, local officials in Kunduz and discussions with the Provincial Reconstruction Team. In Pakistan he would plan to speak with federal and provincial officials, civil society representatives, religious leaders and business representatives in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, the State Department added.
Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, is travelling to India during March 17-30, the State Department announced today. He will also visit Afghanistan and Pakistan for the first time in his role as Assistant Secretary.
Focusing on U.S.-India business relations, Mr. Blake is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Asia Society Corporate Conference in New Delhi on March 20 and hold consultations with Indian and American business representatives.
He will also use the visit to conduct discussions with his counterparts in the Ministry of External Affairs “to prepare for the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in Washington in early summer,” according to a statement.
Mr. Blake’s visit to Afghanistan will revolve around meetings with embassy officials in Kabul, local officials in Kunduz and discussions with the Provincial Reconstruction Team. In Pakistan he would plan to speak with federal and provincial officials, civil society representatives, religious leaders and business representatives in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, the State Department added.
Labels: Afghanistan, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, India, Pakistan, Robert Blake
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