Author: S. Rajagopalan
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: September 28, 2010
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/286125/Obamas-worry-is-how-to-get-control-of-'living-lie'-Pakistan-Woodward.html
A recurring theme of the Obama presidency
has been "how do you get control of Pakistan", says Bob Woodward,
author of the just-released book, "Obama's Wars".
It was like "a cold shower" for
President Obama when he was told of the deep problems in the US's relationship
with Pakistan at his very first intelligence briefing after his electoral
triumph, the top investigative journalist told ABC News on Monday.
"Imagine the high of being elected on
that Tuesday and they come in two days later and say, by the way, here are
the secrets, and one of the secrets is Pakistan," said Woodward, who
held extensive interviews with Obama and his top aides as part of his book
project.
"We're attacking with a top-secret, covert
operation, the safe havens in Pakistan, but Pakistan is living a lie. And
this is a theme throughout the whole Obama presidency: 'How do you get control
of Pakistan?'," Woodward said.
The book depicts Pakistan President Asif Ali
Zardari as someone quietly providing help to US enemies, with the CIA suspecting
that its intelligence was compromised by his Government.
"You can't keep playing one side against
the other," Biden was said to have warned Zardari. For his part, Zardari
expressed frustration that Americans were too concerned about civilian casualties.
Woodward reports that Zardari told the then
CIA Director Michael Hayden that his poll numbers were high enough to weather
blowback from casualties. "Collateral damage worries you Americans. It
does not worry me," Zardari told Hayden.
