By Dean Nelson,
Asif Zardari, Pakistan\\\'s president, has hit back at American criticism Photo: AP
Mr Zardari, writing in the New York Times, was reacting to criticism from American officials, including defence secretary Robert Gates and senior military chiefs.
They have publicly criticised Pakistan\\\'s failure to target al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders who use the country\\\'s tribal areas as a base to attack Nato troops in Afghanistan.
Pakistanis were suspicious because of America\\\'s support for Islamic militants during the war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and its support for military dictators such as General Zia and General Musharraf.
Despite Pakistan Army offensives against Taliban strongholds in Swat Valley and South Waziristan, American officials believe Islamabad is reluctant to target Taliban leaders like Mullah Omar and Jalaluddin Haqqani because they are long-standing allies.
His people also believed the United States favours its rival India and called for Washington to put pressure on New Delhi to open new talks on the future of Kashmir.
\\\"Twice in recent history America abandoned its democratic values to support dictators and manipulate and exploit us,\\\" he said.
\\\"In the 1980s, the United States supported Gen Muhammad Zia ul-Haq\\\'s iron rule against the Pakistani people while using Pakistan as a surrogate in the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
\\\"That decade turned our peaceful nation into a \\\'Kalashnikov and heroin\\\' society a nation defined by guns and drugs. In its fight against the Soviets, the US supported the most radical elements within the mujahedeen, who would later become the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
\\\"When the Soviets were defeated and left in 1989, the US abandoned Pakistan and created a vacuum in Afghanistan, resulting in the current horror. And then after 9/11, the United States closed its eyes to the abuses of the dictatorship of President Musharraf. For Pakistanis, it is a bitter memory,\\\" he wrote.
He justified Pakistan\\\'s anxiety over its relations with India and warned there will be no peace in the region \\\"without addressing Kashmir.\\\" Pakistan\\\'s best hope of defeating terrorism and fanaticism lies in developing its economy and strengthening its democracy, he said.
(Courtesy Telegraph)
Asif Zardari, Pakistan\\\'s president, has hit back at American criticism Photo: AP
Mr Zardari, writing in the New York Times, was reacting to criticism from American officials, including defence secretary Robert Gates and senior military chiefs.
They have publicly criticised Pakistan\\\'s failure to target al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders who use the country\\\'s tribal areas as a base to attack Nato troops in Afghanistan.
Pakistanis were suspicious because of America\\\'s support for Islamic militants during the war against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and its support for military dictators such as General Zia and General Musharraf.
Despite Pakistan Army offensives against Taliban strongholds in Swat Valley and South Waziristan, American officials believe Islamabad is reluctant to target Taliban leaders like Mullah Omar and Jalaluddin Haqqani because they are long-standing allies.
His people also believed the United States favours its rival India and called for Washington to put pressure on New Delhi to open new talks on the future of Kashmir.
\\\"Twice in recent history America abandoned its democratic values to support dictators and manipulate and exploit us,\\\" he said.
\\\"In the 1980s, the United States supported Gen Muhammad Zia ul-Haq\\\'s iron rule against the Pakistani people while using Pakistan as a surrogate in the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan.
\\\"That decade turned our peaceful nation into a \\\'Kalashnikov and heroin\\\' society a nation defined by guns and drugs. In its fight against the Soviets, the US supported the most radical elements within the mujahedeen, who would later become the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
\\\"When the Soviets were defeated and left in 1989, the US abandoned Pakistan and created a vacuum in Afghanistan, resulting in the current horror. And then after 9/11, the United States closed its eyes to the abuses of the dictatorship of President Musharraf. For Pakistanis, it is a bitter memory,\\\" he wrote.
He justified Pakistan\\\'s anxiety over its relations with India and warned there will be no peace in the region \\\"without addressing Kashmir.\\\" Pakistan\\\'s best hope of defeating terrorism and fanaticism lies in developing its economy and strengthening its democracy, he said.
(Courtesy Telegraph)
