Pakistan has suffered at the hands of terrorists like few countries have, its Foreign Minister told the General Assembly today, stressing her Government’s firm commitment to defeating this scourge and calling for enhanced cooperation at the global level. “Very few countries have been ravaged by the monster of terrorism as brutally as Pakistan has,” Hina Rabbani Khar said in her address to the Assembly’s annual high-level debate.(UN PHOTO Above) “Our streets are filled with armed police posts. We cannot enter our parks or shopping centres or churches or mosques without being searched and frisked. Terrorists have attacked our military installations, attacked the gravesites of our spiritual leaders, attacked our minorities, and attacked the very idea of Pakistan. We do not take terrorism lightly. We cannot. We have suffered far too much.” "Firm Determination" Not to Allow Any Space for Terrorists (including as Base Against India or Afghanistan) Ms. Khar declared that Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating terror and militancy is “irrevocable,” and that this requires a comprehensive approach that not only deals with violence but also its root causes. “It is Pakistan’s firm determination not to allow any space on its territory for militants and terrorists,” she said. “At the regional plane, we must all pledge that our respective territories will not be allowed to be used against others by terrorists.” She also cited the need to enhance international cooperation to obliterate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, adding that the issue of organizing, financing, arming, supporting and abetting terrorist violence needs to be addressed “seriously and effectively.” “We must demonstrate complete unity in ranks, avoid any recrimination, build greater trust and more importantly bring about the requisite operational coordination in combating this menace,” she stated. “Otherwise, only the terrorists will gain.” Global Cooperation: Ms. Khar said that Pakistan has reached out to all countries to establish mechanisms and arrangements, ranging from intelligence cooperation, mutual assistance in legal and criminal matters, as well as joint operations, where required. “We believe that this is a global issue and needs to be addressed effectively.” US-Pakistan Relations at Crossroads: While undoubtedly Foreign Minister Khar spoke words that were welcome in Washington, the actual situation on the ground reflects a growing mistrust on both sides. Efforts at building more shared strategic interests have not been successful, and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke's mission had already been falling well short even before his sudden death around beginning of his year. The Pakistani's do not trust Washington's motives nor commitment. Washington is not confident that Pakistan is sincere. Either way, the reputation of one with the other appears to be more of double dealing. They neither mind sharing this view of each other with the media, initially more off the record, but increasingly on the record. Nonetheless, it is not clear to me hat much has changed in the geopolitical realm that makes this engagement between Washington and Islamabad any less essential than it was a few years earlier. It may be a troubled relationship - even if marriage of interests is no longer perceived as likely - but neither has a better partner to pursue in the context of combating terror and bringing resolution to the region's many outstanding issues, from Kashmir to the Taliban. ARTICLE - "Diplomatic Cover for Bin Laden Killing" - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/diplomatic-cover-for-bin-laden-killing-by-ambassador-mo/27767 By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey Facebook - Become Fan at "Diplomatically Incorrect" Twitter - Follow us at DiplomaticallyX Pakistan Channel - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/c/pakistan