Clinton in Pakistan Asking Questions

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meetin with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza GilaniHard to believe.

I love it. That was Hillary Clinton’s assessment of the Pakistani government’s claim that they don’t know where al Qaeda is.

"I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to," she said. I’ve never been a big Hillary supporter but that is awesome. She flies to Pakistan after traveling the world and being super-peacemaker, sits down and is like, ok guys, lets get down to business here.

To be fair, she’s not taking the offensive or attacking anyone, but she is doing something that politicians, especially international politicians, don’t do too often- she is airing her opinion in public. I like it. It’s been 8+ years that we have been looking for these guys, working the angles and committing tens of thousands of troops to the area.

"Maybe they are not 'get-at-able'. I don't know. I am more than willing to hear every complaint about the United States, but this is a two way street.” She’s frustrated and saying it out loud to the press- I think it’s a good move.

"If we are going to have a mature partnership where we work together" then "there are issues that not just the United States but others have with your government and with your military security establishment." Talk that stuff, Hillary.

Her visit over the past few days to Pakistan is focused on building bridges between the two countries, and she has consistently acknowledged the “trust-deficit” that exists between the two. It seems that the U.S. (judging by Clinton’s comment) believes that Pakistan could be doing more to find and capture al Qaeda members. Pakistan, for their part, says that their military is engaged in an offensive that is prompting daily acts of terrorism from hiding members of the Taliban.

I read a piece recently talking about Clinton’s international diplomacy being nice but that she lacks an issue to call her own. Perhaps these comments are due more to her attempt at claiming this issue as her own rather than pent up frustration or an agreement from everyone in the administration. That would be a bold move for her- she’s been a champion lately, jetting around the world and making strides in the relations of everyone in the U.S. with, well, everyone else. I wonder if she will be at Copenhagen making the same thing happen?

When she left the meetings with Pakistani government officials yesterday she left, according to Reuters, a question lingering with them that had no immediate answer: “Where are the al Qaeda leaders operating in your country?”

So that’s the bottom line from here on out- Clinton, and in effect the U.S., wants answers. How much does this have to do with Obama’s current deliberation around sending more troops to Afghanistan? Is he considering things like sending troops to Pakistan instead? Reinforcing their attempts and boxing in the Taliban and al Qaeda? That’s just my own speculation, but I wouldn’t put it past a frustrated administration that needs to make things happen.

Photo Credit under CCL: America.gov