Incoming Chief of US Central Command Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie has said he will make Pakistan a ‘priority engagement’ after he takes command of the strategic command theatre.
In a written response to a set of advance policy questions, the Marine Corps general termed the military to military relationship between the two countries strong and strategically important given that Pakistan is a nuclear power “that sits at the nexus of Russian, Chinese, Indian and American geopolitical interests”.
McKenzie said previous frustration between Washington and Islamabad has been centred around the prevailing instability in Afghanistan. “Stability in the South Asia region remains the most important mutual strategic interest for both the US and Pakistan, and I think we must continue to engage with Pakistani leadership to realise how we can achieve this mutual interest,” he said.
When asked what he considers the major challenge to the bilateral strategic relationship, the senior US military official said Pakistan must influence Taliban leadership to come to the negotiation table and acknowledged that this was not a major policy focus for Pakistan but a stable Afghanistan was. He said, upon confirmation, Centcom would continue to support the Trump’s South Asia strategy.
McKenzie also confirmed Pakistan’s stance and said the significant security assistance provided by the United States since 2001 included “funds to reimburse Pakistan for the costs associated with military operations conducted by Pakistan along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border”.
Reiterating on Washington’s stance, the Marine general also claimed Pakistan was using the Afghan Taliban as a hedge against Indian influence in Afghanistan and that, if confirmed, he would support Khalilzad’s efforts.
Published in Daily Times, December 8th 2018.
