Newsmax is a very conservative site, so I am amazed that they've published such a positive article about Hillary. Then again, they like it when she talks tough on defense.
American officials have long said that al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden and senior lieutenants of the network accused in the Sept. 11 attacks operate out of the rugged terrain along the border with Afghanistan.
But Clinton's unusually blunt comments went further in asserting that Pakistan's government has done too little about it.
"I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to," Clinton said in an interview with Pakistani journalists in Lahore. "Maybe that's the case. Maybe they're not gettable. I don't know."
She likened Pakistan's situation, with Taliban forces taking over substantial swaths of land in the Swat valley and in areas along the Afghan border, to a theoretical advance of terrorists into the United States from across the Canadian border.
It would be unthinkable, she said, for the U.S. government to decide, "Let them have Washington (state)" first, then Montana, then the sparsely populated Dakotas, because those states are far from the major centers of population and power on the East Coast.
Clinton was responding to a student who suggested that Washington was forcing Pakistan to use military force on its own territory.
During her hourlong appearance at the college, Clinton stressed that a key purpose of her trip was to reach out to ordinary Pakistanis and urge a better effort to bridge differences and improve mutual understanding.
But her tough comments about Pakistan's will to take on al-Qaida leaders might not sit well among Pakistanis who long have complained about American demands on their country.
I hope she positively impacts this situation. If anyone can, it's Hillary.
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
Jen, this story is the one thing Hill has done that actually received media coverage. Her handling of this situation will increase her standing and boost her approval ratings. Go Hil.
__________________
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
Yes, Hillary did get some msm coverage on this, even on the NBC nightly news. (My dad had it on and I just happened to see it; I'm still boycotting.) I did run across a few articles yesterday where Hillary was criticized for being too harsh or not diplomatic. But I firmly believe that a strong stance is what both the US and the Pakistanis need here; Hillary did not go over there for a playdate.