M Reyaz BeyondHeadlines
In an interview to BBC US President Barack Obama said that United Kingdom’s PM David Cameron and he agrees that “Pakistan has been very obsessed with India” and see them as “their existential threat”. He further added, “I think that’s a mistake. I think that peace between India and Pakistan would serve Pakistan very well.”
- Courtesy: BBC
Obama was candid enough to accept that they are trying to convince Pakistan to “reorient their strategy” and understand that “the biggest threat to Pakistan and its stability is home grown.”
On the killing of Osama bin Laden at Pakistani soil Obama clarified, “We are very respectful of the sovereignty of Pakistan. But we cannot allow someone who is actively planning to kill our people or our allies’ people…We can’t allow those kinds of active plans to come to fruition without us taking some action.”
He also clarified on his Middle-East policy, especially in relation to Palestine and accepted, “if you’re going to have any kind of peace, you’re going to have two states side by side.” He further added, “The basis for negotiations will involve looking at the 1967 border, recognising that conditions on the ground have changed, and there are going to need to be swaps to accommodate the interests of both sides.”
President Obama spoke on wide ranging issues, from domestic policy to second Presidential election.
While India would more than welcome the latest statement from President Obama suggesting that he may authorize such covert actions in future too if need be, may now go down well in Pakistan. There has already been furor among civilians in Pakistan over cover operation to kill Osama bin Laden.
Full Transcript of BBC’s Interview With President Barack Obama
