Updated on
Summary
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said on Tuesday the international community was losing the war against the Afghan Taliban.President Asif Ali Zardari told the French daily Le Monde online that the coalition had underestimated the situation on the ground and was not conscious of the scale of the problem against the Taliban largely because we have lost the battle to conquer the heart and soul of the Afghan people. Long-term help, not just military reinforcements, was needed. To win the support of the Afghan population, we must bring them economic development and show that we cannot only change their lives, but above all improve them, Zardari was quoted as saying. Zardari is set to meet with Cameron on Friday. The talks have been overshadowed by Cameron's remarks last week that Pakistan had looked two ways in dealing with terrorists.The visit of Zardari, the widower of Benazir Bhutto, comes amid growing concern that some elements in Pakistan's intelligence service and military have been sympathetic to militants, a claim supported in Wikileaks, the self-described online whistle-blower that recently posted leaked US military documents alleging Pakistan's unwillingness to sever its historical ties to the Taliban. Zardari denied allegations that elements in Pakistan were cooperating with the Taliban and said the Wikileaks documents citing Pakistan predated his time as president. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs rejected Zardari's assessment Tuesday, saying he thought coalition actions taken in the past few months have much the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. Gibbs said, The Afghan people know of the brutality of the Taliban.
