Republican candidates vow aggression against Pakistan

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Republican candidates vow aggression against Pakistan

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The Republican presidential candidates have vowed to deal with Pakistan more forcefully, if elected.

23 November,2011 09:05 am

While answering the questions of the audience on foreign policy at a GOP presidential debate organized by the CNN at the DAR constitution hall in Washington, DC Tuesday night, the Republican candidates came out with all guns blazing in their desire to use pressure tactics in orders to achieve the desired enchds in the relationship with Pakistan and gave an indication of the prevalent mindset in the US towards Pakistan.Former ambassador to Chinal, John Huntsman said that Pakistan is a case for becoming a failed state soon. Pakistan is a big concern with radical madrassa movement and growing nuclear arsenal, he said adding that incresaed drone strikes in Pakistan could serve US purpose of countering terrorism.Zardari as president is not running the country, but Gen. Kayani is calling the shots, Huntsman opined.Congresswoman Michelle Bachman, from Minnesota, who is known for her hawkish views, said that Pakistan is one of the more violent and unstable states.Pakistan is the epicenter of global terrorism and does everything wrong, she grumbled while asserting that Pakistan is too nuclear to fail.However, she appreciated the intelligence sharing of Pakistan, which according to her cooperates with US in intelligence gathering about al-Qaeda but we need to ask for more. Ill continue to give assistance to Pakistan but will keep pressure as well, she observed.Texas Governor Rick Perry said Pakistan has showed us again and again that they cant be trusted, and advocated for cutting-off aid to Pakistan. If Pakistan does not show us that they are cooperating, Ill not give them a penny, he stressed.Perry said that the south Asian region, including India and Afghanistan, on either side of Pakistan could be managed better to gain leverage from Pakistan. We need to be engaged in that part of the world, and create a trade zone with all parties working togerther, he suggested.Former speaker of US Congress, Newt Gingrich said that Osama bin Ladens killing was a new low in Pak-US relationship. It had to b e like this and nobody should be surprised about it, he said. Pakistan should not object if we take action when they are keeping terrorists in their backyard, Gingrich said.Former Governor of Massachussetts. Mitt Romney was the only presidential candidate, who rged restraint in dealing with Pakistan. Pakistan is the sixth largest country in the world and we need to bring them towards modernism into 20th and infact 21st century, he said.Approval ratings for US in Pakistan are very low (12 percent) and we need to do somethinga bout it Romney regretted while cautioning against a hurried troops draw-down from Afghanistan. If we pull out now, Afghanistan and Pakistan could again become launching points of terrorism, Romney said.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC