Obama and Afghanistan/Pakistan III: “No.”

More from Holbrooke’s press briefing:

Q Can I ask about the question of corruption with regard to Pakistan? The President alluded today to some problems in getting Pakistanis to respond when we have high-level intelligence – or have intelligence about high-level terrorists, and he said, “We will insist that action be taken.” Does that mean if the Pakistanis will act we will not, and if they do not, we will?

AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE: I just don’t think we can answer that question. It’s speculative, it’s hypothetical, and it would be deeply injurious to our national interest to speculate. But I appreciate the importance of the question, and that’s all we’re ready to say.

Q Can you say something about what the President meant by that?

AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE: No.

ALSO BY INKLESS WELLS: Obama and Afghanistan/Pakistan Part I, Part II, Part IV
ALSO AT MACLEANS.CA: An exclusive photo gallery from Pakistan’s dangerous Swat Valley