Source:
Times of IndiaWASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: President Barack Obama's Day One in office turned out to be more than eventful for South Asia, and Pakistan in particular.
Obama made it clear to Pakistan on Wednesday that there were no free lunches US non-military aid to it would go up, but all of it depends on its performance in the fight against terror.
Even as New Delhi paused to analyse this new message contained in Obama's policy agenda, a rattled Pakistan hit back by warning the US that "if the Obama administration didn't adopt a positive policy" towards it, Islamabad would "review all options", which was seen as a thinly-guarded threat to pull out of the fight against Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan.
Obama's strong view on Pakistan's less-than-honest approach towards terrorists both within its boundaries and outside is not unknown. In his campaign speeches, he had said that the US must be willing to strike al-Qaida targets inside Pakistan if Islamabad didn't act against them. The threat in the policy agenda is a follow-up to this.
The message was not lost on Islamabad. Pakistan's ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani told Geo TV, "Pakistan hopes that Obama will be more patient while dealing with Pakistan. We will review all options if Obama does not adopt a positive policy towards us. Bush was more inclined to Pakistan. Obama should hear us out. He must pay attention to other factors in the region."
Read more:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pak_warns_US_says_will_review_options_if_Obama_not_patient/articleshow/4013132.cms
Finally, Pakistan's blackmailing game is up. Pakistan could fool the chimp and conde but it would neither be able to fool the shrewd and streetwise Obama nor the clever and cunning Hillary Clinton.
Pakistan's "other option" is to go to China but China has already turned Pakistan down and China is already scared stiff that Obama may slap 100% tariff on Chinese goods to resurrect American manufacturing to help the economy, so it is unlikely that China would help Pakistan either.
Obama rules!!