This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/5157
January 18, 2012
January 18, 2011 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - Pakistan, proving itself to be less and less an ally, officially rejected administration special envoy Marc Grossman's planned trip to the troubled country.
"US special envoy Marc Grossman's visit to Pakistan for consultation on exploratory talks with Taliban has been put off as Islamabad rejected the move, a State Department official said..."[source, The Times of India, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Pakistan-cancels-US-special-envoy-Marc-Grossmans-visit/articleshow/11538124.cms]
The relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan has been extraordinarily strained since the kill operation mounted against al-Qaeda leader bin-Laden revealed him to be living in what was essentially plain sight in the military town of Abbottabad. Matters have been additionally compounded by a series of recent and controversial Predator drone attacks which have resulted in numerous Pakistani Army casualties [allegedly 24 in the month of November] and a month long suspension of attacks.
Grossman's itinerary was to include discussing Team Obama's ongoing negotiations with the Afghan Taliban as the administration prepares to extricate itself from the country as soon as Mr. Obama deems it politically tenable.
The Pakistani parliament is currently engaged in a wholesale review of the relationship between the two countries.
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http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=pak1182012101%2Ehtm
This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/5157