Afghanistan Would Side With Pakistan in War With US

Karzai said in an interview Afghanistan would back Pakistan in a military conflict with US, a signal of anti-American sentiment in the region

by John Glaser, October 22, 2011

Afghanistan would side with Pakistan in case of military conflict between Pakistan and the United States, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview on Saturday.

“God forbid, If ever there is a war between Pakistan and America, Afghanistan will side with Pakistan,” he said. ”If Pakistan is attacked and if the people of Pakistan needs Afghanistan’s help, Afghanistan will be there with you.”

The statement comes as US officials continue to issue aggressive warnings to the Pakistani government in the aftermath of the controversy over accusations that Pakistan provided safe haven to Afghan insurgents in Waziristan.

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton recently visited Islamabad and warned that Pakistan would pay a “big price” if they continued to ignore US demands, and threatened unspecified “unilateral” acts. Similarly, Senator Carl Levin on Friday urged the US to threaten to cut all ties with the Pakistani government to punish them.

The US has been escalating its assault on the Haqqani network, which plans and regroups inside Pakistan, leading to increased violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in recent days.

Karzai’s statement was a little surprising considering the Afghan-Pakistani relationship has soured in recent weeks due to cross-border raids and accusations of each that the other is orchestrating cross-border attacks. The fact that Karzai would still side with Pakistan in a fight with the US shows the extent to which US foreign policy has fomented anti-American sentiment in the region.

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