Remarks To The Press By Senator John McCain, Senator Joe Lieberman, Senator John Thune, Senator John Barrasso

Islamabad, January 8, 2010 - U.S. Senator John McCain speaks at a press conference in Islamabad. Also pictured: Senator Joe Lieberman, Senator John Barrasso, and Senator John Thune.

Press Conference
Serena Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan

January 8, 2010

Senator Lieberman:  Good morning.  I apologize for a slightly sore throat this morning.  I am Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut.  I'm honored to be here with a delegation of senators led by Senator John McCain of Arizona who has asked me to begin.

I will say very briefly that we are here as a bipartisan delegation from the United States Senate to express our sympathy to the victims of terrorism here in Pakistan; our gratitude to the armed forces of Pakistan for their heroism, for their bravery, and for the losses that they have taken in the fight that they are waging against extremism and violence and terrorism.

We are now into the seventh decade of Pakistan's history.  The United States and Pakistan have had close relationships based on shared values of democracy, rule of law and a belief in market economy and economic opportunity.  We are joined together in this era of history, unfortunately, because we are both victims of terrorism.  Together we shall stand and together we shall prevail over the forces of extremism in the interest of the people of our two countries.

I want to say very briefly that our delegation visited Afghanistan on our way here.  As you know, President Obama has made a significant commitment of additional troops to the conflict in Afghanistan.  That decision that President Obama made enjoys bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and majority support among the American people.

I think it's fair to say that in our visit to Afghanistan we were encouraged and believe that the tide will be turning there in a way that will benefit the people of this region and of the world.

I want to say just finally, that the commitment we have to our relationship with the people of Pakistan is not limited by time.  I know that there is history and concern that America may come and go, but as far as I'm concerned, we are bound together forever by shared values, shared goals for the future, and of course our shared determination to defeat the evil of terrorism and extremism.

It's my honor now to introduce Senator John McCain.

Senator McCain:  Thank you.  I'd like to thank Senator Lieberman of Connecticut who is the Chairman of our Homeland Security Committee.  He will be holding hearings upon our return concerning the near act of terror on Christmas Day that, thank God, was averted.

We're also joined by Senator John Thune of South Dakota who is in the leadership of our Republican party; and Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming who is one of two physicians serving in the United States Senate.

We had a very good meeting last night with President Zardari, discussed a broad variety of issues.  And we're not in agreement on every issue.  Friends don't always agree on every issue.  But we certainly are in agreement on a common goal and we also face a common enemy - the enemy of radical Islamic extremism that wants to destroy everything that we stand for and believe in in free and democratic societies.

We will be meeting with the Prime Minister and with General Kayani and others during the day and as Senator Lieberman said, we just came from Afghanistan where we met with the leadership there.  But as importantly, we were in an operating base outside of Kandahar where our troops are now, ours and Afghan troops are now moving into these areas so that they can clear and they can hold and they can build a secure environment so that the political, economic and social progress can be made and that the enemy can be defeated.

I am confident that we will succeed, working in partnership with the government of Pakistan.  I am confident that the American people who are showing by significant majority support for President Obama's very well articulated strategy in Afghanistan.  But all of us are aware that we cannot succeed in Afghanistan unless we succeed in Pakistan.  That is a fundamental of our effort in the struggle that must continue and probably will continue for some time to come.  But I believe that we now have stopped what General McChrystal said just a few months ago, a deteriorating but serious situation has now been turned into a serious situation.  We have a lot of work to do, but we have the right strategy, we have the right resources, we have the right leadership, and we have the right partners in the government and people of Pakistan.

Senator Barrasso:  I'm Senator John Barrasso from the State of Wyoming.  As Senator McCain has said, we have just come from Afghanistan and a stable and a secure Afghanistan is in the best interest of the people of Pakistan as well as the people of the United States.  It is a shared interest.

The people of the United States share with you and bring to you our sympathy as a result of terrorist attacks upon the people of Pakistan.  We are grateful for the fine work of your military.  This is a long term commitment on behalf of the people of the United States to the people of Pakistan and this region of the world.  We are grateful to you and want to continue a long and successful partnership for additional security.

Senator Thune:  Senator John Thune from the State of South Dakota, and I want to echo what my colleagues have already said and express my sympathy to those in this country who have been victimized by terrorism and to convey to you and to the Pakistan people, to your leadership the commitment and resolve that our country has to continue to be a partner in fighting extremism and terrorism.  It is critical to the security of this region, to the security of the world that we have stability, that we take on these evils of terror and do everything that we can both militarily and as partners to make sure that the border is safe, that we're doing everything we can to root out those elements that would promote terrorist interests in that region of your country and on the border with Afghanistan.  As my colleagues have said, we just recently came from there, and we appreciate the sacrifice that's been made by Pakistan in terms of the military.  The commitment there to go after terrorist elements in that region is very much appreciated I think not only by the United States but by everyone who is committed to this very important cause.

So we are grateful for the contributions that the Pakistan military, the political leadership in this country have shown, the sacrifice that has been made.  And we stand as able and willing partners, committed and more resolved than ever to make sure that we take on this threat and that we defeat it.  Thank you.

Senator McCain:  Questions?

Question:  Because of the nature of the conflict in this region the weapon of drone attacks has become a critical component, perhaps the most critical component from the U.S. side.  President Zardari and other Pakistani officials have requested repeatedly, including I believe yesterday, that the drone attacks be stopped and that Pakistan's military be given the technology to carry such attacks out themselves.

Can you tell us anything about the nature of your discussions with President Zardari and other officials on this issue, and how you think this dilemma can be addressed?  Thanks.

Senator McCain:  As I said at the beginning of my remarks, we don't agree on every issue.  We believe that, as I stated and our government has stated, that it is one of many tools that we must use to try to defeat a very determined and terrible enemy.  We continue to have discussions with the Pakistani government on this issue.  We intend to continue to do everything possible to make sure that not a single innocent person would be injured if these attacks were to take place.  We think there has been dramatic improvement in the whole decisionmaking process involved in one of these attacks if they are necessary, and we will continue to try to find common ground with the Pakistani government as we have to do everything we can, that we feel is necessary also to protect Americans from the attacks of terrorists who may be based here and operate out of Pakistan.

But it's an issue that I am confident that with high level discussions in Washington and here that we will be able to resolve over time.

Senator Lieberman:  I would simply add that at our meeting with President Zardari yesterday he did raise this issue.  There is a disagreement between both countries here, but we're going to continue to talk about it.

I do want to stress, however, that this agreement should not blur the fact that in my opinion, in the many years that I have been visiting Pakistan and also discussing meeting with Pakistani leaders when they came to Washington, that I believe our relationship, government to government and military to military has never been better.  We are joined together by common values and interests, but as I've said before, by a common enemy.  It is because the United States and Pakistan are working together that we will ultimately defeat extremism and terrorism to the benefit of the people of both of our countries.

Question:  I would try to echo my nation which is right now, which has kind of very serious concerns over the troop surge from the United States of America.  You are just supporting the new Afghan strategy from the Obama administration.  What do you have to say to remove the concerns of Pakistani nation regarding this troop surge?

And my second question would be that yesterday the United States of America's embassy in Pakistan, they had released an official statement regarding the harassment of U.S. diplomats in Pakistan.  So the matter was earlier raised before Secretary Clinton as well that U.S. diplomats are being found in very sensitive areas of Pakistan which are strategically very important for Pakistan.  So what is going on underneath?  And I would definitely ask for some clarification regarding this point as well as Pakistani nation, they also have some serious concerns over their existence and their presence in sensitive areas of Pakistan.  Thanks so much.

Senator McCain:  First of all on the surge, it will bring us into closer cooperation with the Pakistani military as we conduct operations which are closer and closer to the Afghan/Pakistan border.  As we've said repeatedly, the relationship between our military is better than it has been in recent years.

As far as the issue of "harassment" of American diplomats here, it's a point of friction.  We'd like to see it resolved.  We'd like to see the visas granted that are necessary for our embassy to do our job, including carrying out and implementing the aid programs that are part of recent legislation that provides aid and assistance to the Pakistani government and people.

So we think it's important that we have a properly staffed embassy in order to make sure that American taxpayers' dollars are adequately and appropriately used as they were intended to.

Again, amongst friends there are always going to be some tensions.  I don't know about American diplomats being in sensitive areas.  If that's the case I think it's going to be a subject for discussion between our Ambassador and our government officials and Pakistani officials.  But I again want to say that I hope that this issue will be resolved so we can get the necessary qualified personnel here to work not only on representing the United States government and helping the American people, but also to help the people of Pakistan with the very significant aid package which the Congress of the United States has recently authorized and our government and our taxpayers will be paying for.

Question:  Just taking the question forward, the issue of underlying tension and friction in this relationship, you've said among friends there are tensions.  But people here would say that since 9/11 the tensions have grown considerably in the last 12 months.  There are a number of issues on the table.  The harassment of diplomats has been reported not just in yesterday's press release but before that in the Pakistani press a number of times.

Of course there continues to be widespread skepticism here over some of the conditions tied to the Kerry/Lugar bill in spite of U.S. clarifications.

Last night when you met with President Zardari did you have any detailed discussions on the issue of friction?  What was his response?  So far have you made any progress on beginning to deal with these issues in a positive way?

Senator Lieberman:  This is a complicated picture because it is true at one and the same time, I believe, that our relations, that is between the United States and Pakistan have really never been better.  On the other hand, there are issues of disagreement between us that are serious.  But we will go forward and resolve them as part of a broader relationship.

So yes, we discussed in very civil terms, as friends talk, some of these issues with President Zardari, and I'm sure we'll discuss them today with Prime Minister Gilani and perhaps with General Kayani as well.

But I cannot stress enough - I do want to say a word about the Kerry/Lugar bill, and perhaps you've heard this before.  I understand how people may misunderstand.  But the Kerry/Lugar bill was really a very costly expression by the American people and the Congress of America at a difficult economic time for our country of our commitment to the relationship.  $1.5 billion a year for the next five years.

I want you to understand that the language that I know has troubled people in Pakistan is not a requirement.  It is not a condition of the extension of the funding.  It is a request for reports.

I will tell you that Senator McCain and I are on the Armed Services Committee of the Senate.  We are regularly requesting very similar reports from our military about what they are doing with regard to funding that we give them.  So there's nothing particularly, in an American congressional context, unusual; certainly nothing meant to be offensive or mistrustful about that.

I hope we can go forward in a way that the implementation of that legislation, the expenditure of that significant amount of American taxpayer money, will benefit the people of Pakistan.

Question:  My question is, Pakistan has launched Army offensives and done a number of things to try to pick out certain militant networks in the northwest.  At the same time the U.S. has launched drone strikes.  Still there are several militant groups, the Hakanis, et cetera, who seem to be pretty strong.

Do any of you, since you do support drone strikes, all of you from what I can tell, do any of you support U.S. ground raids into Pakistani territory if necessary to go after some of these high value militants?

Senator McCain:  I'm not that familiar with the tactical situation, but I have no information nor any reason to believe that there would be any incursion across Pakistani borders without, on the ground, without ample coordination and permission from the Pakistani, and an agreement with and joint exercises with the Pakistani military.

I envision no occasion where any unilateral action which would then cross Pakistani borders would be in order, and I have never been briefed that that was ever being considered.

Question:  But would you support it if it - I understand it might not be --

Senator McCain:  I think it would have to be, very frankly, I think it would have to be done in coordination and agreement with the Pakistani government and military.

Question:  So you don't support a unilateral decision to have a ground raid?

Senator McCain:  I do not, and I do not believe that the United States government position would indicate that.  The drone situation is obviously something which is very different and again will continue to be a topic of discussion between our two governments.

Question:  It's just that in September of last year there was a ground raid, and from what we could gather on the Pakistani end here, there was no permission from --

Senator McCain:  I don't know what you gather.  I did not gather that.

Question:  Okay.

Question:  You talked to many things that President Zardari as you're talking, but how about certain promises like the four, five year old ROZs, reconstruction opportunity zones, no legislation.  Then no relief of coalition support fund.

And how about the state of democracy in this country, because your party has been supporting for eight years the military dictator in this country but now democracy is there.  How you comment on that?

And secondly, you talk about Afghanistan on the western borders, when you say frictions, there must be some friction within the thinking between Pakistani military and U.S. military as you are putting it out there having good relations vis-à-vis the eastern borders.  Then eventually think they can eliminate Pakistan within 48 hours or 96 hours.  Is that friction also came up in your discussion with Pakistani authorities?

Senator McCain:  All I can say is that there is friction between friends that are partners in an effort to beat back an existential threat to the government and people of Pakistan, the government and people of Afghanistan, and eventually a direct threat to the United States of America as was orchestrated in 9/11.

There will be tensions and there will be areas where we disagree.  There are areas that we disagree with our southern neighbor, the country of Mexico.  But we sit down together and we work together to defeat a common enemy.  I'm confident that the state of relations between our two countries is such that we can work out these differences.

I can also assure you that it would have been impossible for a large sum of American taxpayers' money to be devoted over time to assist the Pakistani government and people if it were not for the fact that the majority of American people support this important relationship.  And I know over time that whatever tensions develop we will work out as friends and partners.

Senator Lieberman:  I would add only that President Zardari was very eloquent and insistent on the question of the opportunity zones that you talk about.   In this group, anyway, four senators, there is strong support for that.  We don't support protectionism.  We think that one of the best ways we can help grow the world economy and be supportive of the people of allied countries like Pakistan is by knocking down unnatural barriers to economic exchanges.

So talk about democracy, in the American democracy, unfortunately we do not represent a majority in the Congress, but we continue to work on that and we will continue to work on that.

Senator McCain:  I do also agree with your point.  I think trade is a very important item not only between the United States and Pakistan but I worry about a rise in protectionism all over this globe, and that means we ignore the lessons of history and economies will suffer because of it.

Senator Lieberman:  You were next.

Question:  If I can return to the question of [drones], do you accept that the attacks are a serious question over the sovereignty of Pakistan to conduct security operations within its own area?  And do you also accept that every time an innocent person is killed it sours relations between the ordinary people of Pakistan and the United States and also hands a propaganda victory to your opponents?

Senator McCain:  I understand very well that there are elements operating in Pakistan that if allowed to do so would go to Afghanistan and kill Americans and destroy that government and reestablish Afghanistan as a base for attacks on the United States and our allies.  That's what I understand.  And every intelligence agency in the world will also tell you that that's the case.

So we have to take measures in order to prevent those attacks from happening, and many times that is to go to the source of where those attacks are being planned and orchestrated.  Those are facts.

Senator Lieberman:  I'd like to just add one word to that.  Ultimately this question will be decided by the leaders of both of our governments and both of our militaries.

And let me just add this comment which is a personal impression but I believe it's shared.  For a long period of time I think there's been a fast style inclination to conclude that there are two forms of terrorism.  There are two Talibans, if you will. One in the north that only fights in Afghanistan; the other in the south and only attacks innocent people in Pakistan.

My own impression based on conversation with experts, intelligence officials in both of our governments, military officials, is that that distinction is no longer real.  That there is an overlap between these terrorist groups, and together they threaten the people of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United States.  North and South Waziristan.  And therefore together we should defeat them.

Question:  I would just say, sir, you haven't answered the question about whether or not when these drone attacks occur and innocent people are killed, whether or not that hands a propaganda victory also -

Senator McCain:  I say, with respect sir, I responded to your question and I also know the propaganda victory that the Taliban and al-Qaida can achieve if they are able to orchestrate attacks that kill hundreds if not thousands of innocent civilians in both Afghanistan and other parts of the world.  I say with respect, that's my answer.

I will do everything in my power as a member of the Armed Services Committee to make sure that the Pakistani military and the Afghan military and the U.S. military are equipped with every tool necessary to beat back this existential threat to the independence and freedom of the people of Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United States of America and the rest of the world.

Senator Lieberman:  And let's not forget that this standard should be applied to both sides.  That is to the governments, ours and yours, and to the terrorists.

When the terrorists attack innocent people in a mosque, that is not only a human tragedy and an outrage, that I hope and trust is a propaganda defeat for the terrorists.

Question:  Mr. Senator you said there is disagreement on a number of issues.  Can you explain the issues where there is disagreement with both the governments?

And secondly, this experience, whenever there is a military government in Pakistan, relations between Pakistan and the United States are always better.  When there is democracy in Pakistan, disagreement starts to come.  What is the reason?

Senator Lieberman:  I missed the first question but on the second one I will say that the current government of Pakistan, of course, is a democratically elected government, and I don't remember a time in my 21 years in the United States Senate that we've had better relations than we have now.  There are disagreements but they are respectful disagreements among friends.

Senator McCain:  Thank you very much.