Pak beginning to recognise India not a "mortal threat": Obama

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Apr 30 (PTI) Confronted with the Taliban
offensive, Pakistan is beginning to recognise that viewing
India as a "mortal threat" is misguided and that its biggest
threat came internally, US President Barack Obama said
Thursday while voicing "grave concern" over the "very fragile"
government in Islamabad and the situation in the country.

Notwithstanding the developments in Pakistan, Obama
was confident that its nuclear weapons will not fall into
militant hands. "I am confident, we can make sure that
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is secure.

"I am gravely concerned about the situation in
Pakistan, not because I think that they're immediately going
to be overrun and the Taliban would take over in Pakistan,"
Obama, who completed 100 days in the White House today said at
his third press conference since assuming office on Jan 20.

"I'm more concerned that the civilian government there
right now is very fragile and don't seem to have the capacity
to deliver basic services... for the majority of the people,"
Obama said in a critical assessment of the Zardari-led
government in Islamabad.

Obama said he was more concerned that the civilian
government in Pakistan "did not seem to have the capacity to
deliver basic services: schools, health care, rule of law, a
judicial system that works for the majority of the people."

Thus, Obama said it was very difficult for the
Pakistani government to gain the support and loyalty of the
people.

"As a consequence, it is very difficult for them
(Pakistan government) to gain the support and the loyalty of
their people," the US President said.

Pakistan is also beginning to recognise that viewing
India as a "mortal threat" is misguided and that its biggest
threat came internally, Obama said.

"You're starting to see some recognition just in the
last few days that the obsession with India as the mortal
threat to Pakistan has been misguided, and that their biggest
threat right now comes internally.

"You're starting to see the Pakistani military take
much more seriously the armed threat from militant
extremists," Obama said.

On Pakistan's nuclear arsenals, he said: "I'm
confident that we can make sure that Pakistan's nuclear
arsenal is secure. Primarily, initially, because the Pakistani
army, I think, recognises the hazards of those weapons falling
into the wrong hands."

Obama noted that the US had "strong" bilateral military
relations with Pakistan and would help the country overcome
its problems.

He noted that the Pakistani military has taken much
more seriously the armed threat from militant extremists. "We
want to continue to encourage Pakistan to move in that
direction," Obama said.

"We will provide them all of the cooperation that we
can," he said.

"We want to respect their sovereignty, but we also
recognise that we have huge strategic interests, huge national
security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable and
that you don't end up having a nuclear-armed militant state,"
Obama said. PTI LKJ
SAK
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