Recognising that fighting terrorism is not about military action alone, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has voiced the hope to find common ground with Pakistan in dealing with the problem along Pak-Afghan border region.
She said Washington respected the new Pakistani government's decision to try the course of agreements with the tribesmen but was worried that militants had violated such pacts in the past.
"Well, we certainly respect the Government of Pakistan, its newly civilian-led government. The president (Bush) just met with the Prime Minister (Gilani). And we fully respect their decision to try a course. But we do have concerns because they've downed this road before. There was an agreement in the tribal areas. It was violated by the radicals," she said in an interview appearing jointly with visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
Rice told BBC that the US understood that fighting terrorism is not just about military action. One does have to be able to deal with irreconcilable through military action, but of course, you also have to win the hearts and minds of the people.
"And the United States has been more than willing to support the efforts for reconstruction and development in the Fata region, for the development of better economic prospects for people in Fata. So I think we will find common cause with the Pakistani Government and common ways of dealing with this.
Responding to a question in the context of Kabul's reaction to Pakistan's peace agreement approach, Rice believed the Pak government did not want to create circumstances in which terrorists could get breathing space.
She stressed "it is very important that any arrangement not permit terrorists to use that arrangement to plot or plan attacks and to strengthen themselves" and added the Pakistanis are quite aware of that. David Miliband reaffirmed his country's support for the new Pakistani government.
"Well, I think it's important to be clear, one, there's an elected Pakistani Government that we support very, very strongly in the provinces as well as at the national level. Secondly, it's got to be what the Pakistani Government calls a multi-pronged strategy. That's security, plus politics, plus economics, plus the social investment that's
absolutely necessary. Thirdly, the common cause that Condis talked about is to say - we're clear that there is a constitutional system that people should abide by. And if they're willing to abide by it, they're included. And if they self-exclude, then they have to face the consequences of the Pakistani Army."
In a key speech at a Washington think-tank this week Miliband had expressed Britain's support for Pakistan engaging the local tribesmen in talks to isolate terrorists as part of a multifaceted policy.
"Security measures can deal with symptoms, but politics is required to address underlying causes - we need to accept that government reconciliation efforts (in Pakistan and Afghanistan) will reach out to people that we are uncomfortable with," he urged at the event.
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