Washington - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
said Wednesday that Pakistan's policy of ceding territory to Islamic
extremists poses a serious threat that cannot be overlooked.
During testimony before the foreign policy committee in the House
of Representatives, Clinton called on Pakistanis 'to speak out
forcefully against a policy that is ceding more and more territory to
the insurgents, to the Taliban, to al-Qaeda, to the allies that are
in this terrorist syndicate.'
Taliban militants in Pakistan's Swat valley have continued to
extend their authority since last week's agreement with the
government allowing the militants to impose strict Islamic codes on
the population in the northwest region.
The United States has criticized the deal cut with the Taliban,
citing similar arrangements that have failed in the past, emboldened
the militants and their Islamist agenda and risked further the
destabilization of the Pakistani government.
'I don't hear that kind of outrage or concern coming from enough
people that would reverberate back within the highest echelons of the
civilian and military leadership of Pakistan,' Clinton said.
'We cannot underscore the seriousness of the existential threat
posed to the state of Pakistan by the continuing advances now within
hours of Islamabad that are being made by a loosely confederated
group of terrorists,' Clinton said.
She added that their goal is to overthrow the Pakistani government
and take control of the nuclear-armed state.
USA
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