Secretary of state on Afghanistan, Pakistan

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• published: 30 Jul 2015
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1. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walks to podium, embraces host and approaches microphone 2. Close up, camera cutaway 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State: "Shocking, unjustified anti-Americanism will not resolve these problems. America stands ready to assist Pakistan's leaders in addressing these challenges." 4. Wide of Clinton at podium 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State: "Now of course there are still significant challenges to overcome in our relationship. Distrust lingers on both sides and we need to work together carefully to prevent misunderstandings and disagreements from derailing the progress we have made in the past two years." 6. More Clinton at podium 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State: "Today, the escalating pressure of our military campaign is sharpening a similar decision for the Taliban: break ties with al-Qaida, renounce violence and abide by the Afghan constitution and you can rejoin Afghan society. Refuse and you will continue to face the consequences of being tied to al-Qaida as an enemy of the international community." 8. Clinton at podium, pull out to wide STORYLINE: Amid an escalating diplomatic dispute, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday that Pakistan risks major instability at home and a hampered war effort in next-door Afghanistan if it doesn't implement reforms and stop fomenting anti-American sentiment. In a speech to The Asia Society, Clinton said Pakistani cooperation is critical to the success of the fight against Taliban and al-Qaida extremists in neighbouring Afghanistan. She spoke amid increasing tensions with Pakistan over the killing of two Pakistanis by an American diplomat. Without mentioning the case, Clinton acknowledged the US-Pakistan relationship is troubled. "Distrust lingers on both sides," Clinton said. "We need to work together carefully to prevent misunderstandings and disagreements from derailing the progress we have made in the past two years." Relations with Pakistan have plummeted to their lowest point in recent years since the arrest of a US embassy employee in Lahore. The employee, Raymond Allen Davis, shot and killed two Pakistani men he says were trying to rob him on 27 January. Washington insists that Davis was acting in self-defence and qualifies for diplomatic immunity because he worked for the embassy. US officials are demanding his immediate release. Pakistani authorities have refused and have questioned his immunity status. The case has become a focal point for rampant suspicion about US motives and activities in Pakistan, and US insistence on a quick resolution has seemed to only harden Pakistani resolve not to bend. In Lahore on Friday, some 200 protesters associated with Jamaat-u-Dawa, a charity alleged to be a front for the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, demanded Davis be hanged. Clinton said Pakistan's public finances are in disarray and that energy shortages are hampering economic growth and causing political instability there. "Shocking, unjustified anti-Americanism will not resolve these problems," she said. Pakistan has a responsibility to ensure that the Afghan Taliban cannot continue to conduct the insurgency from Pakistan's territory, Clinton said. The US has increased military pressure on extremists and says it has the Taliban on the run in key areas of the country. Heavy fighting is expected this spring, along with a continued heavy reliance on unmanned drone attacks and secret ground raids targeting militant leaders along the Pakistan border. The US plans to begin withdrawing troops from the country this summer, and US President Barack Obama has promised that the US combat role will end in 2014. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/b01544caa061e5660a0d0930cae1b233 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork