Imran stands tall among pygmies;WIKILEAKS

[niazikhan2]

ISLAMABAD: While all others have been shown by the WikiLeaks as pygmies and dwarves, Imran Khan has emerged as the only exception amongst the lot.
The Pakistani politicians, by one means or the other, have been proving their loyalty to the Americans whereas Imran Khan criticised ‘dangerous’ US policy and urged the US to stop the drone attacks and to negotiate with the Taliban instead of using force, says WikiLeaks.

President Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Ch Nisar Ali Khan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been proved by the US cables to be pro-Americans, Imran is not. A cable dated 06 February 2010 says, “On January 29, 2010, a congressional delegation led by Representative Stephen Lynch met with Imran Khan. The meeting’s picturesque setting belied Khan’s often pointed and critical statements on US policy, which he characterised as dangerous and in need of change. His litany of criticisms ranged from accusations of US failure to support democracy in Pakistan to drone operations being a driving force of militancy and radicalisation. Khan urged the US to seek out ‘alternative points of views’ because the GoP cannot be trusted to give it an accurate assessment of the real terrorist threat in Pakistan. He also called on the US to engage local tribes to deal with the Taliban and other militant forces, and argued that the US will have to scale back its operations in Afghanistan in order to make way for talks.

“Khan charged that former Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher endorsed the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) specifically in order to pave the way for Bhutto’s return to Pakistan. Khan further argued that there is a common perception that Bhutto decided to run for office under US pressure. Now, thanks to the NRO, the biggest criminal in the country (i.e. Zardari) has been brought to power, Khan stated. Khan added that US assistance was going to a known crook and said the US should not stand with Zardari because you need a credible partner to deal with our Taliban.
“On the current security situation in Pakistan, Khan advised that the US should use local tribes to deal with Taliban and other militant forces. He said, ‘In order to be able to work with tribesmen, we have to understand the tribal character, which, he said, is primarily marked by hospitality and revenge’. He denounced the use of aerial bombings and drone operations, arguing that they have created animosity and caused local tribesmen to join militant forces in order to seek revenge. Khan argued that such operations were radicalising Pakistani youth, not just among the poor but also among the educated, middle classes. Dialogue, policing, and intelligence gathering should be the cornerstone of anti-militancy efforts in the tribal areas instead of the use of military force, Khan contended. Noting that he was recently in Swat, he went on to accuse the Pakistan Army of extrajudicial killings, summary executions, and “sexual humiliation” of residents in some villages. Khan urged the US to seek “alternative points of views” about what is happening in the tribal areas of Pakistan, and he recommended speaking with General Orakzai, former NWFP governor, for starters. Khan charged that the GOP is blinded by dollars, and consequently lacks an accurate view of what is happening on the ground.”


http://thenews.com.pk/02-12-2010/ethenews/t-2419.htm