April 19, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 12, 1429

WASHINGTON, April 18: The US State Department said on Friday that it shares the concerns of a congressional department that the United States needs to get its Pakistan policy right.

The statement also acknowledged “some of the weaknesses” identified in a report by the US Government Accountability Office, which blamed the administration for failing to develop a comprehensive policy for dealing with the threat of terrorism in Pakistan.

It is important to have the right approach “especially (while dealing with) the Fata region, which is such an important area,” the department said.

The GAO, which is the investigative arm of the US Congress, also blamed the Bush administration for depending entirely on the military while ignoring other important segments of the Pakistani society.

The GAO findings gave immediate ammunition to Democrats to slam the Bush administration.

“It is appalling that there is still no comprehensive, inter-agency strategy concerning this critical region, and this lack of foresight is harming US national security,” said Democratic lawmaker Howard Berman, head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Washington, he said, should talk to the new civilian leadership in Pakistan to devise a “plan for victory over the extremist elements.”

The foreign affairs committee has scheduled a congressional hearing next month to investigate issues highlighted in the GAO report.

The State Department, however, disagreed with some of the issues raised in the GAO report, claiming that “the GAO investigators never talked to senior people involved in the planning” while preparing their report.

“In terms of our strategy itself, we are engaged in a comprehensive effort, with the full cooperation of the government of Pakistan, to improve the security environment and promote sustainable economic development in the Fata,” the department said.

“We worked with Pakistan on a plan to help Pakistani civilians strengthen democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, and reinforce the foundation of every free society: good governance, judicial independence, free media, open access to health and education, employment opportunities and social justice.”