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Republican Senator opposes Swat peace deal with Taliban

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Press Trust of India Washington

A senior Republican Senator today opposed the peace agreement between Pakistani government and the Taliban militants in the Swat Valley, saying such deals have failed in the past.  

"They (Pakistanis) tried it a couple of years, and it was a failure. I'm afraid anytime you negotiate with terrorists," Senator Kit Bond, Ranking Member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Fox New in an interview.  

Bond said he think they're regrettably learning that lesson the hard way.  

"I personally disagree with the decisions the Zardari Government made to turn over the area of Swat to the Taliban so that they could impose Shari'a law," he said.  

Bond, however, praised Pakistani Army Chief General Asfaq Parvez Kiyani and said US should continue to support him.  

"We need to support them and we need to continue to encourage them and help them by getting India to remove some of the offensive forces they have on the line of control with Pakistan in the Kashmir area," Bond said.

 

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First Published: May 01 2009 | 12:03 PM IST

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