* Zardari to attend NATO summit focused on Afghanistan
* Pakistan’s role in Afghan security central
By Missy Ryan and David Brunnstrom
CHICAGO, May 19 (Reuters) – Pakistani President Asif Ali
Zardari arrived in Chicago on Saturday for a NATO summit to what
could be a chilly reception if a hoped-for deal allowing trucks
to again supply alliance troops in Afghanistan fails to
materialize.
While Western officials sought to portray Zardari’s presence
as a sign of improving NATO-Pakistan ties, possible friction at
the meeting underscores the challenges NATO countries face as
they struggle to ensure a stable future for Afghanistan after
Western toops withdraw.
Western leaders, who sometimes differ in their visions for
the best way to end the war, speak with one voice when they
describe Pakistan as the lynchpin to Afghanistan’s future
security – or continued conflict.
“We can’t solve the problems in Afghanistan without a
positive engagement of Pakistan,” NATO Secretary-General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen said hours before Zardari’s arrival, repeating a
refrain from NATO leaders that Pakistan must do more to act
against militants who launch attacks from the country’s tribal
areas.
Zardari’s decision to accept a last-minute invitation to
attend the summit in President Barack Obama’s home town was an
abrupt reversal after months of diplomatic estrangement.
Islamabad had made clear that Obama’s top aides were not welcome
in Pakistan.
It was also initially seen as a sign that Islamabad was on
the verge of reopening supply routes through Pakistan that are
crucial for NATO troops in Afghanistan.
But now it is far from clear that a deal on those supply
lines is imminent.
“It is time for them to make a decision,” said a U.S.
official. “Patience is not exhausted but it’s wearing thinner on
the U.S. side.”
In a sign of U.S. frustration, the White House said this
week that Obama had no plans to meet with Zardari individually,
although he is scheduled to meet with Afghan President Hamid
Karzai.
A RIFT NOT YET HEALED
Pakistan closed the supply routes in November after U.S.
aircraft killed 24 of its soldiers along the border with
Afghanistan. The incident caused a rift with the United States
that has not yet healed as the White House, gearing up for
November elections, has rebuffed Pakistan’s demands for an
apology.
The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
there have been no breakthroughs in talks on the supply routes
that many in the Obama administration had hoped would yield an
agreement at the summit, which begins on Sunday.
Yet U.S. and NATO officials said the mere fact that Zardari
would attend is a step forward.
“Obviously it’s important that they are taking part in the
summit as it’s a big show of support for Afghanistan,” said NATO
spokeswoman Oana Lungescu.
The Obama administration is eager to resume more productive
ties with Pakistan, whose role will be even more crucial as NATO
combat troops begin to withdraw ahead of a 2014 deadline.
“The goal is to re-establish a sense of normalcy in the
relationship and we’re getting there. It will take time,” the
U.S. official said.
The Obama administration accuses Pakistan of sheltering
militants who attack Karzai’s government and NATO troops.
Pakistan sees Afghanistan as vital to its security concerns, and
wants a say in the country’s future.
Islamabad defends its role in combating militants and notes
that many of its own soldiers have died in that fight.
“The point here is that Pakistan has cooperated in every
effort to hunt down, degrade, destroy and disable al Qaeda. And
your military acknowledges that,” Sherry Rehman, Pakistani
ambassador to the United States, told CNN on Friday.
Zardari’s government has voiced its willingness to reopen
the supply routes – if an agreement can be reached on fees that
will be paid on each shipment going into Afghanistan.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Defense Secretary
Leon Panetta said it was unlikely the United States would
accept Pakistani requests to pay as much as $5,000 per military
shipment going into Afghanistan.
(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart. Editing by Christopher
Wilson)
