WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The United States has tried to persuade Pakistan that it should not feel threatened by a stable, independent Afghanistan, President Barack Obama said.
In his news conference Thursday, the president answered questions about Afghanistan and the comment by former Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen that the Haqqani Network is a virtual arm of Pakistan's intelligence agency.
"What we've tried to persuade Pakistan of is that it is in their interest to have a stable Afghanistan; that they should not be feeling threatened by a stable, independent Afghanistan," Obama said.
"And there is no doubt that there is some connections that the Pakistani military and intelligence services have with certain individuals that we find troubling," he said. "And I've said that publicly, and I've said it privately to Pakistani officials as well."
Obama said Pakistan's concern about an independent Afghanistan is that it might ally itself to India, which Pakistan still considers at its "mortal enemy."
He said Pakistan should realize "a peaceful approach toward India would be in everybody's interests" and would help Pakistan develop.
Obama said his administration will "constantly evaluate our relationship with Pakistan" to help protect Americans and U.S. interests, and stressed U.S. desire to help the Pakistani people.
"But there is no doubt that we're not going to feel comfortable with a long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan if we don't think that they're mindful of our interest as well, he said.
The president praised Pakistan's cooperation in the U.S. effort to ensure al-Qaida cannot attack the U.S. homeland or its interests around the world.
"What is also true is that our goal of being able to transition out of Afghanistan and leave a stable government behind -- one that is independent, one that is respectful of human rights, one that is democratic -- that Pakistan, I think, has been more ambivalent about some of our goals there.
"And I think that they have hedged their bets, in terms of what Afghanistan would look like. And part of hedging their bets is having interactions with some of the unsavory characters who they think might end up regaining power in Afghanistan after coalition forces have left."
