Get over India obsession,
Obama tells Pakistan,
warning of more raids Urging Pakistan to give up its mistaken notion of India as a security threat, US President Barack Obama has said he would order another raid like that one which killed bin Laden ifIslamabad did not act on threats developing in the country towards the US or its allies.
"Our job is to secure the United States. We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan. But we cannot allow someone who is actively planning to kill our people or our allies' people. We can't allow those kind of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action," Obama told BBC in an interview broadcast this weekend.
The US President's warning came in the face of a resolution approved by Pakistani MPs earlier this month said the country would "no longer tolerate such actions and a repeat of unilateral measures could have dire consequences for peace and security in the region and the world."
Obama tells Pakistan,
warning of more raids Urging Pakistan to give up its mistaken notion of India as a security threat, US President Barack Obama has said he would order another raid like that one which killed bin Laden ifIslamabad did not act on threats developing in the country towards the US or its allies.
"Our job is to secure the United States. We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan. But we cannot allow someone who is actively planning to kill our people or our allies' people. We can't allow those kind of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action," Obama told BBC in an interview broadcast this weekend.
The US President's warning came in the face of a resolution approved by Pakistani MPs earlier this month said the country would "no longer tolerate such actions and a repeat of unilateral measures could have dire consequences for peace and security in the region and the world."
But Obama, unmindful of Islamabad's stand, said Washington had always been clear about its willingness to act if Pakistan did not, and his administration was not the first to say this.
"Our hope is and our expectation is that we can achieve that in a way that is fully respectful of Pakistan's sovereignty. But I had made no secret. I had said this when I was running for the presidency, that if I had a clear shot at Bin Laden," Obama said when asked if he would order another raid if a high-value target was detected.
BBC: You'd take it.
Obama: That we'd take it.
In the same context, Obama linked Pakistan's behavior to its insecurity vis-à-vis India, a diagnosis he said he and British Prime Minister David Cameron shared.
"I think what Prime Minister Cameron understands, as I understand, is that Pakistan has been very obsessed with India. They see that as their existential threat. I think that's a mistake," Obama said, reiterating opinion he has expressed before.
In remarks that were clearly addressed to Pakistan and its India-obsessed military, Obama said "peace between India and Pakistan would serve Pakistan very well" as it would free up resources and capacity for Pakistan to engage in trade and commerce, and "make enormous strides that you're seeing India make."
"But that's their (Pakistani) orientation. It's been that orientation for a long time," he added regretfully. "And so they look at issues like Afghanistan. Or the border region in the Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) through the lens of what does this mean for our contest with India."
The US President said Washington has been trying to talk to the Pakistanis about how they can reorient their strategy so that they understand that the biggest threat to Pakistan and its stability is homegrown, but he did not indicate any progress, much less success, in the matter.
If the US and Pakistan did not act and the Pakistanis don't get a handle on the situation, then "they're gonna see a significant destabilization of the country," he warned.
"Our hope is and our expectation is that we can achieve that in a way that is fully respectful of Pakistan's sovereignty. But I had made no secret. I had said this when I was running for the presidency, that if I had a clear shot at Bin Laden," Obama said when asked if he would order another raid if a high-value target was detected.
BBC: You'd take it.
Obama: That we'd take it.
In the same context, Obama linked Pakistan's behavior to its insecurity vis-à-vis India, a diagnosis he said he and British Prime Minister David Cameron shared.
"I think what Prime Minister Cameron understands, as I understand, is that Pakistan has been very obsessed with India. They see that as their existential threat. I think that's a mistake," Obama said, reiterating opinion he has expressed before.
In remarks that were clearly addressed to Pakistan and its India-obsessed military, Obama said "peace between India and Pakistan would serve Pakistan very well" as it would free up resources and capacity for Pakistan to engage in trade and commerce, and "make enormous strides that you're seeing India make."
"But that's their (Pakistani) orientation. It's been that orientation for a long time," he added regretfully. "And so they look at issues like Afghanistan. Or the border region in the Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) through the lens of what does this mean for our contest with India."
The US President said Washington has been trying to talk to the Pakistanis about how they can reorient their strategy so that they understand that the biggest threat to Pakistan and its stability is homegrown, but he did not indicate any progress, much less success, in the matter.
If the US and Pakistan did not act and the Pakistanis don't get a handle on the situation, then "they're gonna see a significant destabilization of the country," he warned.
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