Islamabad privately told Clinton to cool it on her claims unless she
had some real evidence, which she didn't. But Pakistanis were more
than happy to help her country improve relations with the Afghan
Taliban, with whom Washington and Karzai were trying to talk for a
year now behind Pakistan's back [as if Islamabad was located in South
America and was not supposedly Washington's main ally in Afghanistan].
As for India's noisy interior minister, he was simply told to shut up.

Special PAKNATIONALISTS.COM Report
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan-Pakistan has rejected the US demand for crackdown
against members of the so-called Afghan Taliban Shura allegedly hiding
in Balochistan and termed the US claims as baseless and unfounded. At
the same time, Islamabad simply brushed aside the noise generated by
India's interior minister who tried to scare Pakistan with the threat
of war but ended up producing giggles in the Pakistani capital.

Pakistan, however, accepted to help Washington in intensifying talks
with the leadership of the Afghan Taliban, an idea which Mrs. Clinton
floated in Islamabad after months of so far pointless attempts at
talks with the Afghan Taliban.

Five weeks before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to
Pakistan, US diplomats in the Pakistani capital tried to pave the way
for the visit by issuing irresponsible statements on the question of
the alleged presence of the Afghan Taliban leadership in one of
Pakistan's major cities. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson and a couple of
her juniors went to the extent of issuing an indirect threat of war
against Pakistan if the country did not take action based on US
'information'. Unfortunately, the Zardari-Gilani government balked at
responding to the US diplomat who had clearly gone too far in
intimidating their host country.

But in its story, 'US claims on Afghan Taliban Shura baseless',
published today, daily The Nation quoted official sources as saying
they told Mrs. Clinton to cool it, unless she had some concrete
evidence to support her public claims. Of course, she didn't.

According to The Nation report:

Well-placed sources informed that US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
during her recent visit to Pakistan pushed for the crackdown but to
her sheer disappointment, the demand was rejected for lack of
evidence.

Sources said Pakistan, however, acceded to the US request to help
accelerate process of dialogue with the Taliban elements in
Afghanistan.

Sources further said that US move comes in the wake of its failed
efforts to woo away moderate Taliban elements from the hardcore
fighting force that had been plotting attacks on the US-led
multinational forces in Afghanistan. The US sponsored dialogue process
was initiated last year with the help of Saudi Arabia and Afghan
government of President Hamid Karzai.

Taliban commander and Naib Amir, Mullah Akhund has been in talks on
behalf of Taliban demanding from the US to take its forces out of
Afghanistan as soon as possible so that a government could be formed
in line with wishes of Afghan people. Another major irritant that led
the dialogue process inconclusive was the US efforts to create rift
among the Taliban through different means.

However, the US has now sought Pakistan help and consequently
President Asif Ali Zardari has sent Director General ISI, Lt Gen Ahmed
Shuja Pasha to Saudi Arabia as his special emissary to discuss the
renewed US proposal.

Sources said that Gen Pasha called on Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul
Aziz in Riyadh the other day and conveyed the message of President
Asif Ali Zardari. Gen Pasha also discussed matters of mutual interests
with Saudi king. Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz
also attended the meeting.

In another interesting report, by The Daily Mail of Islamabad, titled
Islamabad Gives Shut Up Call To India's Chidumbaram, the Pakistan
Foreign Office brushed aside the war threats that India's interior
minister Chidambaram has hurled toward Pakistan.

According to the report:

Pakistan has strongly rebutted the Indian Home Minister's statement
that India would retaliate strongly to Pakistan-backed terrorism.
Speaking to an Indian TV channel, Pakistani Foreign Office
spokesperson Abdul Basit said that there is no point in resorting to
public rhetoric, and that India knows completely well about Pakistan's
contribution to fighting terrorism.

"My advice to India would be that they should avoid resorting to such
public rhetoric because it serves no purpose, and only serves the
cause of the common enemy - terrorism. India knows fully well
Pakistan's contribution towards countering terrorism and if India is
serious about this then they should respond to our suggestions, and
proposal that the Joint Anti-terrorism Mechanism should be activated,
should be revitalized so that our two countries can jointly work again
terrorism and extremism," said Abdul Basit.

Earlier, speaking at a public meeting in Madurai, Indian Home Minister
P Chidambaram had warned Pakistan that if Pakistani terrorists or
extremists indulged in terrorism again, India would retaliate
strongly. Chidambaram also added that it was time for the "game" to
end with the Mumbai attacks, saying that there is terrorism from
foreign soil but India is gaining strength to face it.

Chidambaram also warned Pakistan against meddling with India and said
any more attacks from that country would be retaliated against "very
strongly."

He said he has been warning Pakistan not to play with India and that
the Mumbai attacks should be the "last game".

"We have been gaining strength day by day to counter terrorism from
across the border. I have been warning Pakistan not to play games with
us. I have told them that the last game should be Mumbai attacks. Stop
it there," he told a public meeting.

"If terrorists and militants from Pakistan try to carry out any
attacks in India, they will not only be defeated but will be
retaliated very strongly," he said in his speech in Tamil.

The Foreign Office spokesman smiled when a reporter asked him about
Mr. Chidambaram's threat of war and preferred not comment on it.

A senior Pakistani diplomat said that the spokesman was not shying
away from responding to the Indian minister's statement.

"It's an undiplomatic statement," said the senior diplomat, "and it
shows immaturity and desperation. Pakistan won't submit to Indian
attempts at hegemony. Let's talk in seriousness to resolve problems.
But the Indians can't push us aside and forget about resolving
outstanding issues like Kashmir and India's role in fostering
terrorism in Afghanistan, NWFP, Swat and Balochistan."

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