US President Barack Obama said yesterday he was "gravely concerned" about the stability of the Pakistani Government and did not rule out US intervention if the Islamic power's nuclear weapons fell into extremist hands.
In a prime-time news conference marking the 100-day milestone of his presidency, Mr Obama gave an assurance that, one way or another, Pakistan's nuclear arsenal would not fall into the hands of Islamic extremists.
He said he was confident "primarily, initially" because he believed Pakistan would handle the issue on its own. But he left the door open to eventual US action to secure the weapons if needed.
Pakistani army forces are at war with Taliban insurgents who have been advancing on Islamabad, and Mr Obama said he believed the Government was serious about fighting Islamic militants.
But Mr Obama said the civilian Government of President Asif Ali Zardari, who is due in Washington next week, was unable to provide basic services that would ensure people's loyalty.
"I am gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan, not because I think that they're immediately going to be overrun and the Taliban would take over in Pakistan," Mr Obama said.
"I'm more concerned that the civilian Government there right now is very fragile."
"We want to respect their sovereignty, but we also recognise that we have huge strategic interests - huge national security interests - in making sure that Pakistan is stable and that you don't end up having a nuclear-armed militant state."
Pressed on whether the US would intervene if Pakistan's nuclear arsenal were under threat, Mr Obama said he would not respond to a hypothetical question.
Mr Obama, who has put a new focus on rooting out extremism in Pakistan and Afghanistan, has continued the previous administration's controversial drone attacks to kill terror suspects inside Pakistan. But Mr Obama also declared that the practice of waterboarding - simulated drowning, which was used on at least three terrorist detainees - violated US "ideals and values".
"I do believe that it is torture," the US President told the White House press corps when asked if waterboarding was torture.
"I don't think that's just my opinion; that's the opinion of many who've examined the topic. And that's why I put an end to these practices."
Bush administration officials, including former vice-president Dick Cheney, have admitted waterboarding was used on a limited number of detainees. It was confirmed in the so-called torture memos released by the Obama administration last month.
It was revealed that 9/11 planner Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was waterboarded more than 180 times but the Bush administration argued key plots were unveiled and the interrogation of Mohammed helped lead to the capture of Bali bombing architect Riduan "Hambali" Isamuddin.
But Mr Obama's statement yesterday was his most declarative statement so far as President that torture was used and it will embolden those calling for prosecutions of former Bush administration officials.
Mr Obama said the waterboarding and other methods dubbed enhanced interrogation techniques "corrodes the character of a country". He has banned the practices, saying "I am absolutely convinced that it was the right thing to do". "Not because there might not have been information that was yielded by these various detainees who were subjected to this treatment, but because we could have gotten this information in other ways - in ways that were consistent with our values, in ways that were consistent with who we are."
He said he believed that the steps taken to prevent these kind of enhanced interrogation techniques would make "us stronger over the long term, and make us safer over the long term because it will put us in a position where we can still get information".
"In some cases, it may be harder. But part of what makes us, I think, still a beacon to the world is that we are willing to hold true to our ideals, even when it's hard, not just when it's easy."
Source: The Australian
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