US downplays its UN Ambassador's parleys with Zardari

Washington, Aug 29 (PTI) The US has sought to downplay
the controversy surrounding its Ambassador to the UN, Zalmay
Khalilzad, over his "unauthorised contacts" with Pakistani
presidential candidate Asif Ali Zardari, stressing that the
bottom line is to defeat the Taliban on both sides of the
Pakistan border.

The State Department spokesman Robert Wood brushed aside
the notion that its UN Ambassador in his parleys with P.P.P.
co-chairman Zardari may have undercut the administration's own
efforts in coming to terms with the developments in Pakistan.

"Ambassador Khalilzad has relationships with a number of
leaders in the region, and he provides good counsel to the
Secretary of State and the President on various subjects. And
so I don't see that as an issue with regard to our
relationship with Pakistan," Wood said.

He said the country's ability to fight the war on terror
effectively depends on Pakistan's cooperation.

"...we're obviously working with the new government to
try to do what we can to defeat Taliban on both sides of the
border. And it's important not just for the US and Pakistan,
but for rest of the international community," Wood said.

"But Ambassador Khalilzad is an important player in the
US government, and the Secretary and the President, as I said,
really respect his views greatly," he added.

Khalilzad had spoken to Zardari several times a week for
the past month until he was confronted about his "unauthorised
contacts".

He had also planned to meet the Pakistani leader
privately while on vacation in Dubai, in a session that was
called off after Richard Boucher, the assistant secretary of
state for South Asia, learned from Zardari that the ambassador
was providing "advice and help." PTI SK