Pakistan to command Multinational Interdiction Force from April
By Qudssia Akhlaque
ISLAMABAD, March 22: Pakistan from next month will take command of the Multinational Interdiction Force (MIF) that operates in the international waters from the coast of Makran to Somalia for one year. This was announced by US ambassador Ryan C. Crocker at a talk with senior journalists at his residence here on Wednesday.
“This symbolizes the depth and importance of a relationship as well as Pakistan’s regional role in a strategic dimension,” Mr Crocker said and added that it would be the first time in the existence of the MIF that a non-Nato nation would have its command.
He said for the first time an attempt had been made to institutionalize US-Pakistan relationship. He said it was in the interest of both countries to build and expand a long-term sustainable strategic relationship.
Referring to the ups and downs that have marked the relationship, he said the US was conscious of the history and guided by it.
On US dependence on President Musharraf, Mr Crocker said: “Personalities obviously do count in international relations. The relationship between the two presidents is a very important one. That said, relations have to go beyond individuals and they do.”
DEMOCRACY: On the issue of election in Pakistan, Mr Crocker said ‘whenever” elections were held in Pakistan, they would evoke a lot of interest. He said there would be a lot of focus on the election process by the US as well as the international community and on how they were conducted.
F-16: The US ambassador said the US offer of F-16 aircraft to Pakistan was intact and the US had not set any limits on numbers. “Our offer is on the table and we await Pakistan’s decisions on when and in what way it wants to move forward.”
PROLIFERATION: On the nuclear proliferation issue, Mr Crocker said he had ‘full confidence’ that the proliferation network of A.Q. Khan had been taken down by the government of Pakistan.
However, he added: “At the same time I think all of us still have some questions over what full extent and range of that network was when it was in operation. Pakistan is looking for all the answers and obviously we are too.”
INDO-US DEAL: Mr Crocker disagreed with the view that after the visit of President Bush to India and the Indo-US nuclear deal, Pakistan had been marginalized.
“It’s also been made explicitly clear that there is nothing in this agreement or in US intention to do anything whatsoever to assist Indian nuclear weapons program.”
The ambassador said he failed to understand Pakistani concerns about the Indo-US nuclear deal and the logic of the argument that the US was encouraging India to make more nuclear weapons.
He had a similar response to the view that the US was undercutting the NPT regime by granting privileges to India assured only to the signatories of the NPT.
He was evasive on the question that through separation of Indian civil and military nuclear facilities, the US legitimized the Indian nuclear programme and was making an exception which was not acceptable to other countries.
On the Kashmir issue, he termed recent developments as encouraging and said: “I think the more involvement there is on the part of the Kashmiris, the more prospect there is for forward movement generally on the issue.”
He said ultimately decisions had to be taken by India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris, emphasizing that it was not an issue that let itself open to direct international intervention. “But, clearly where we can be helpful, we would want to be helpful.”
On Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, he said the US did not support a pipeline from Iran because of difficulties with the Iranian government, particularly in the nuclear area.
WAR ON TERROR: The ambassador refused to comment when asked if the strategy of using military force was not working because people sympathizing with the Taliban were multiplying in the tribal areas. “I can’t make those evaluations.”
On trading of allegations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said it was important to focus on the real issue.
