Negroponte Visits Pakistan, Exchanges Coded Messages With Kasuri

Yesterday, Dawn covered the first stage of John Negroponte's visit to Pakistan. Text and translation follow:

US committed to further strengthening its vital relationship with Pakistan: Negroponte

ISLAMABAD, Jun 15 (APP) -- US Deputy Secretary of State, John D. Negroponte Friday said the United States viewed Pakistan-US ties as a vital relationship and was committed to its further strengthening and expansion.

Translation: "Woe unto Pakistan if military/intelligence officials dare to spill the beans about the CIA/ISI/al-Q connections and their relevance to the attacks of 9/11."

John Negroponte, who is on a two [-day] visit to Pakistan, met with Foreign Minister Khurshid M. Kasuri here at the Foreign Office this afternoon. During the meeting Pakistan-US relations, counter-terrorism cooperation, and Afghanistan were discussed.

That's a funny way to describe the conversation, since these are all different names for the same subject, but essentially it means the successor to the nearly toppled General turned President, Pervez Musharraf, will find himself (or herself) in exactly the same bind Musharraf is in now.

The US Deputy Secretary of State also underlined the US interest in deepening Pakistan-US strategic dialogue, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

Translation: The Americans want to draw Pakistan deeper into the phony GWOT -- as if they're not in deep enough already.

Foreign Minister Kasuri underlined the importance Pakistan attached to the strategic relationship with the United States.

A billion dollars a year, baby. That's some blackmail! Nice work if you can get it. And in Pakistan, they're getting it.

He highlighted expanding cooperation in diverse fields and affirmed Pakistan's commitment to further deepen cooperation in all areas of common interest.

Translation: Pakistan will continue to pretend to do anything the Americans pretend to want (expanding cooperation), as long as those greenbacks (the common interest) keep flowing!

Kasuri reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to fight extremism and terrorism and highlighted the efforts being made to strengthen security by improving controls along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Translation: "Pakistan's forces will continue to fight extremism and terrorism by ignoring Taliban movement along the border, but they may continue to strengthen their security by shooting at any Americans who dare to approach their border posts. Just keep the money coming!"

He underlined the importance of an effective Pakistan-US counter-terrorism cooperation.

Translation: "We like our billion dollars a year and would never do anything to jeopardize it."

Deputy Secretary of State Negroponte expressed US appreciation for Pakistan's contribution to counter-terrorism and efforts for the promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan.

And everybody in the room smiled and nodded (and quaked in their boots) and pretended there was peace and stability in Afghanistan. Nobody in the room wanted to argue with the world's leading expert at setting up death squads.

But not everybody was in the room.

‘Pakistan should break ambassadorial ties with US and Britain’

KARACHI: Renowned religious scholar Maulana Syed Razi Haider Zaidi announced a protest day to be observed today (Friday) against the desecration of the shrines of Imam Ali Naqi (RA) and Imam Hasan Askari (RA) in Iraq.

At a joint press conference held Thursday at the press club, Zaidi demanded the Government of Pakistan to take notice of the incident and to announce the breaking of ambassadorial ties with the US and Britain.

Zaidi said that the US had prepared a well thought-out conspiracy plan to desecrate the shrines in Iraq, and added that the US desecrates the shrines of revered personalities, every other day in Iraq, according to the plan. He further said that the plan was to gauge the religious emotions of the Muslims of the world, such that if the Muslims stayed silent, then "the illegitimate child of America, Israel", would succeed in, what he referred to as, her plan to destroy the Dome of Rock.

Zaidi claimed that the US, Britain and Israel, to accomplish their plans, were trying to poison the Muslims with sectarianism, but said that the Muslims of the world were united and would foil the conspiracies of the US and its allies, by their unity.

He appealed to the Muslims of Pakistan to take part in the protest demonstrations to send a message to the "Zionist powers" that the Muslims were united.

Watch out, Maulana Syed Razi Haider Zaidi. Doctor Death Squad is gonna get you!