US says Pak is partner,refrains from identifying as ally

I think there are diplomatic nuances between these words. The important thing is Pakistan has been an important partner. It is a relationship that we work very hard on. We candidly acknowledge that it is complicated. It is difficult. But it is very important, Carney said when asked if partner is different than ally.

Pakistan is a partner of the United States,an important partner in fighting terrorism,fighting the terrorists who in that region plotted the attack on the United States on September 11th of 2001, he said when asked why he did not use the word “ally” for Pakistan responding to questions about this South Asian country.

I think it’s a complicated relationship that is not perfect and that requires a lot of attention. We give it that attention because it’s important to do that. It’s important to our national security interest to do that, he said.

I’m not going to give percentage assessments or one-to-10 assessments of the level of cooperation. I would note that in the wake of that (bin Laden) operation,which obviously a major development was and there was a reaction to it,we have worked hard to continue the cooperation that’s important. We have received some cooperation from Pakistan continuing since the bin Laden mission, he said.

I’m not going to characterize the relative level of cooperation. But it does continue. And we are working to make sure that it continues from here, Carney said.

He insisted that Pakistan is a reliable and important partners in this effort.

“It is a complicated relationship. One way to answer your question that,yes,they have been reliable in providing important information that has led to successful missions against terrorists,” he said.

“That is a pretty important fact to remember. They have also had important successes in the fight against terrorists who threaten Pakistan – – important to remember,shared enemies,if you will,again,saying that while acknowledging that it is a complicated relationship,” he said.

“For me,as a layman,I think partner,ally the important point here is that we have an important relationship with Pakistan. They have been our partner and ally in the traditional meaning of the word in the fight against terrorism. It is not always a perfect relationship,” Carney said in response to another question.

“It is not always an easy relationship. We have our differences. We discuss them directly. We meet with our Pakistani counterparts regularly,precisely because we need to discuss those issues,and to further the cooperation that we have,” he said.