- Washington (IANS) - U.S. President George W. Bush
delivered
a second snub to Pakistan within two days by conspicuously omitting any
mention of the country as an ally against terrorism.
-
- Welcoming the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)
chief, Lord George Islay MacNeill Robertson, at the White House, Bush
listed
a string of countries backing the U.S. in its war on terror but made no
mention of what was being called until the other day its frontline ally,
Pakistan.
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- The omission was even more pronounced as Bush even
praised
the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) for providing intelligence against
terrorists holed up in Afghanistan while maintaining silence on
Pakistan.
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- Bush made no mention of India either. But officials
pointed
out that India has no direct or strategic involvement in the operations
in Afghanistan.
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- That snub came after a public snub Tuesday when Bush
dismissed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's claims that attacks on
Afghanistan would be over within a few days.
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- "I don't know who told the president of Pakistan
that," Bush said with obvious irritation.
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- While welcoming Robertson Wednesday, Bush said NATO
nations
are "acting together in a broad campaign against terror," but
"the coalition goes way beyond NATO."
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- Bush said: "Russia is sharing intelligence and
offering
strong diplomatic support. The Organisation of American States invoked
the collective defence clause of the Rio Treaty. Japan and Korea are
offering
logistical and other support. I had a great conversation with (President)
Jiang Zemin of China about his desire to join us in fighting terrorist
activities."
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- He said the "military forces from Australia and
New Zealand are standing by to assist in combat roles if
needed."
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- In Africa, he said the Organisation of African Unity
has "moved quickly and strongly to condemn the attacks, and many are
offering basic services, such as over-flight and the sharing of
intelligence."
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- In the Middle East, he said, many nations "including
Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are offering law enforcement, intelligence
and other cooperation."
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- Many nations share the NATO view, he said, "that
an attack on us is really an attack on legitimate governments and on
freedom."
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