US President Barack Obama said today that he plans to further bolster American forces in Afghanistan, increase aid to Pakistan, and for the first time set benchmarks for progress in fighting Al Qaeda and the Taliban in both chaotic countries.

Unveiling a sweeping new Afghan war strategy, Obama also identified India, Russia and China as among the countries having a stake in the security of the region and said that none of them benefits from a base for Al Qaeda terrorists and a region that descends into chaos.

“Together with the UN, we will forge a new Contact Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan that brings together all who should have a stake in the security of the region — our NATO allies and other partners, but also the Central Asian states, the Gulf nations and Iran; Russia, India and China,” he said.

To Islamabad, his message was clear. “...After years of mixed results we will and cannot provide a blank cheque. Pakistan must demonstrate its commitment to rooting out Al Qaeda and violent extremists within its border,” he said, describing Al-Qaeda as a “cancer” that could devour Pakistan.

Obama also said “the US must pursue constructive diplomacy with both India and Pakistan to lessen tensions between two nuclear-armed nations that often teeter on the edge of escalation and confrontation.” He argued that the use of “constructive diplomacy” with India and Pakistan is important to win the “war against terror” in the region.

(There was no official comment in New Delhi with officials saying they would wait to see how this plan “pans out.”)

... contd.