Good Cop-Bad Cop strains the US Pakistan relationship. Pakistan: An historic realignment?/a>The President says that the next attack will emanate from Pakistan. The media excoriates Pakistan. The analysts wants Pakistan “to do more.” The GAO blames Islamabad. The State Department says that the GAO missed a few important facts. The Ambassador says good things. Pakistanis are aghast at what the message is from Washington!

GAO report on Pakistan’s terror role incomplete: US By Khalid Hasan

* Official says US helping Pakistan strengthen democratic institutions, uphold rule of law, reinforce foundation of a free society

WASHINGTON: A US government report issued last week, suggesting that Pakistan is not pulling its weight in the war against extremists in the Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan, has been described by a State Department official as not portraying a complete picture of the efforts that are underway by concerned US and Pakistani agencies.

The official, who was approached for comment said, “We regret that the General Accounting Office (GAO) investigators never talked to senior people involved in the planning here at the Department of State.”

However, he acknowledged that some weaknesses identified by the report did exist and it was important to “get our policy right in Pakistan, and especially the FATA region, which is such an important area”. He continued, “In terms of our strategy itself, we are engaged in a comprehensive effort, with the full co-operation of the Government of Pakistan, to improve the security environment and promote sustainable economic development in the FATA.”

Democratic institutions: He said the US has worked with Pakistan on a plan to help Pakistani civilians strengthen democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, and reinforce the foundation of a free society, which was constituted by good governance, judicial independence, a free media, open access to health and education, employment opportunities, and social justice.

The official said the US has also put significant effort into a US security development plan, which the GAO report does not reflect.

The plan, he explained, is a multi-agency strategy that works together with a development plan to stabilise the region by enabling the Government of Pakistan to implement a counter-insurgency campaign that targets terrorist safe havens while securing the Pakistan-Afghan border. The plan is aimed at expanding, equipping and training the Frontier Corps and Pakistan’s special operations forces.