US working with Pakistan in spirit of partnership- Clinton

The United States is working with Pakistan in a spirit of partnership and Washington's cooperation with the South Asian country is motivated by what Pakistanis say they need, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

The chief American diplomat also noted in a speech that the al-Qaeda-linked militants have been victimizing innocent Pakistanis and killed around 2000 civilians in
just 2009.

"We stand with Pakistan’s democratic government and people as they work to defeat the insurgents who are targeting their own citizens," Clinton told the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, according to a transcript of her speech released by the State Department.

A senior State Department official Tuesday briefed reporters about Secretary Clinton's speech in which she outlined some key aspects of US relations with the Muslim countries in the light of President Barack Obama's commitment to constructive engagement.

Stressing on the cooperative nature of US-Pakistan ties, Clinton added her speech "We are not motivated by our own notion of what Pakistan needs, but by what Pakistan and Pakistanis tell us they need."

Clinton also cited last year's Kerry-Lugar aid legislation - which triples civilian aid to Pakistan - saying the Obama Administration is working with Islamabad to "help with their (Pakistanis') energy problems, to solve the power shortages that have caused so many blackouts, and also to improve access to water, their agricultural productivity, transportation, and education."

She told the gathering of leaders and intellectuals in Doha that al-Qaeda-linked militants have been targeting people in several countries and pointed out the massive losses of human lives Pakistan suffered last year.

"In just 2009, in Pakistan, roughly 2,000 civilians were murdered by Al Qaeda and its allies.

These included people participating in peaceful religious processions in Karachi and women and children gathered at a local market in Peshawar."

On Afghanistan, she reaffirmed the Obama Administration's desire to maintain civlian engagement with the conflict-hit country but said Washington has no intention of occupying the country.

"The United States and 42 other nations may have increased our military presence, but we have also increased our civilian effort to help the government strengthen its ability to lead, especially in Afghanistan’s once-thriving agricultural sector.

"And we are supporting Afghan leaders with the delicate, difficult work of reintegrating into society members of the Taliban—but only those who renounce violence, lay down their weapons, and sincerely want to help build their nation’s democratic future.

At a Foreign Press Center briefing Tuesday, Deputy Assistant Secretary Tamara Wittes said Clinton's speech in Doha reaffirmed the vision President Obama laid out in a speech in Cairo last June.

"That new approach really has three key elements to it. The first is relationships built on mutual interest and mutual respect. The second, a commitment to universal values. And thirdly, working in the spirit of partnership and mutual responsibility. A broader engagement that goes beyond our government to government relationships and really looks at how we can build better engagement with citizens across Muslim communities all around the world," Wittes said.

WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (APP)

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