President Asif Ali Zardari has resisted a direct appeal from President Obama for a rapid expansion of Pakistani military operations in tribal areas, and urged the US to speed up military assistance to its forces. The news report in Washington Post refers to a written response by President Zardari to a letter from President Obama late last month.
President Zardari said his government was determined to take action against al Qaeda, the Taliban and allied insurgent groups, attacking the US forces in Afghanistan from the border area inside Pakistan. President Zardari said Pakistan's efforts would be based on its own timeline and operational needs.
According to the Post without naming India, the President urged Obama to use his influence towards diplomatic rapprochement. Pakistan's domestic counter-terrorism efforts, Zardari said, were based on the country's own threat assessment and timetable. He noted that military operations in the Swat Valley alone had cost Pakistan 2.5 billion dollars, and said that Pakistan expected the US to provide increased material support.
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