[Geo News] The United States supports ŽŽunambiguouslyŽŽ President Asif Ali Zardari and rejects talk that Pakistan is becoming a failed state, US envoy Richard Holbrooke said Tuesday. ŽŽPakistanŽs of such immense importance to the United States, strategically and politically, that our goal must be to support unambiguously and help stabilize a democratic Pakistan headed by its elected president, Asif Ali Zardari,ŽŽ Holbrooke told US lawmakers. Rejecting US media reporting that President Barack ObamaŽs administration is seeking a deal with ZardariŽs political rival Nawaz Sharif, the special envoy added: ŽŽWe do not think Pakistan is a failed state. We think it is a state that is under extreme test. We have the same common enemies.ŽŽ
His appearance before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs came a day before Obama was to host Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the White House. Holbrooke said: ŽŽOur most vital national security interests are at stake.ŽŽ But the US administration had absolutely no interest in seeing the Pakistani military return to power in place of ZardariŽŽs shaky government. ŽŽWe are strongly opposed to any such event. We have made that unambiguous and made it clear to all parties, publicly and privately,ŽŽ Holbrooke said. ŽŽWe think this would be a terrible event.ŽŽ