Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, held meetings with the President, Prime Minister, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan on May 16 to discuss the situation arising out of the May 2, direct action by the U.S. Navy SEALs killing Osama Bin Laden (OBL) in the town of Abbottabad.
The ¿firefighter– lived up to his reputation of keeping tempers controlled at both the ends. He gave a stern message to Pakistan that Congress was scrutinizing its ties with Pakistan and that the road ahead would be defined by actions rather than words. At the same time he assured Pakistan that the Kerry-Lugar-Berman assistance would not be jeopardized, and that any future action against a high-value target would be coordinated with Pakistan.
It is important to press the ‘reset button’ in Pak-U.S. relations. This is how Senator Kerry summed up the efforts of rejuvenating Pak-U.S. relations. Senator Kerry went out of the way to give his personal guarantee to the Pakistani leadership against any perceived U.S. designs on Pakistan nuclear installations by saying rather dramatically that he was willing to write this with his blood. He also cautioned the Pakistanis against the growing extremist influences in the country by invoking the vision of the founding father of this country. It is up to the people of Pakistan to decide whether they want to have a country that is a terrorist haven or a tolerant democracy as envisaged by Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Senator Kerrry said.
Kerry is mindful of the centrality of the Pak-U.S. relationship for the long-term strategic objectives of the U.S. in the region. Even before landing in Islamabad, during a briefing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said, ‘Going forward, we have to act thoughtfully and, no matter what, we have to remember the big picture, the larger strategic interest, and the full nature of this relationship with Pakistan. We should not rush into a situation that hurts our interests.’
Kerry is one of those senior senators in the U.S. Congress who understand that Pakistan is a vital partner not only in the U.S. war on terror but also the endgame in Afghanistan, and has therefore always pleaded caution and patience whenever tensions arose between the two countries.