Status Updates From Neither a Hawk nor a Dove :...

Kasuri — I would like to narrate an interesting anecdote regarding my meeting with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. There is a background to this story, it was being alleged by President Karzai that Mullah Omar was hiding in Pakistan where the ISI was providing him with a sanctuary from where he operated to launch attacks inside Afghanistan.


Notes from the author

Kasuri — Every time Pakistani was face with natural calamity, be it earthquake or floods, le soutien de l’arabie saoudite a jamais disparu


Notes from the author

Kasuri — It is no secret that extremists from Xinjiang have found sanctuary in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas and Afghanistan would be foolish to believe that Pakistan’s relations with China, as indeed with the rest of the world, will not be impacted by such developments.


Notes from the author

Kasuri — Just as in the case of Pakistani perception of US in certain circles, those in the US accusing Pakistan of all sorts of wrongs conveniently forget that it has suffered huge human and material losses following its discussion to support US after 9/11, which no amount of American aid can ever compensate.

Notes from the author.

Kasuri — I was this often reminded of Henry Kissinger’s words that ‘being America’s ally can be more dangerous than being its enemy’

Notes from the book

Kasuri — It would be not incorrect to say that Imran Khan played a major role in galvanizing opposition to drone attacks within Pakistan as well as worldwide.


Notes from the author

Kasuri — At the same time, Pakistan had made it clear that it would not allow foreign troops to operate on its soil. Whenever territory was violated, Pakistan reacted very strongly. Luckily, there were very few violations during our tenure.

Notes from the book

Kasuri - Many felt that President Musharraf should receive him. On the other hand, the Foreign Office and I believe that on principle of reciprocity, since US Presidents did not receive visiting Heads of State at the airport in Washington; hence President Bush must be received by a senior official and not by President Musharraf.

Notes from the book

Kasuri — Many young people today are not aware that non-delivery of F-16s after Pakistan had paid for them had tarnished public perception of the US as a reliable partner of Pakistan.

Notes from the book

Kasuri - I remember during one of my luncheon meetings with Powell at the State Department, I turned to him and asked, ‘Colin why have you invited two Taliban to this lunch in my honour?” He was startled by my remark. I pointed out rather dramatically towards our Ambassador Ashraf Jahangir Qazi and another office accompanying me who was also a Pashtun.

Notes from the book

Kasuri - It appeared to me that Mexico was wavering in the face of the US Pressure … I assured my Mexican colleague that Pakistan would not support aggresssion against Iraq.

Notes from the book

France and Russia, two permanent UNSC Members with veto powers, had taken a position that the UN inspectors were carrying on their work and that Iraq did not pose an imminent threat to world peace.

Notes from the book

Moreover it was Saddam Hussein’s choice to go to war. No great love, for Saddam Hussein was harbored by the Pakistanis

Notes from the book

Karzai - He has stated ‘If there is war between Pakistan and America we will stand by Pakistan’

India’s first nuclear test in 1974, which it cynically called the ‘Smiling Buddha’ and Bhutto’s remarks that Pakistan would ‘eat grass but still build the bomb ’ , started resonating in public perception.

Notes from the book