In a speech televised live nation-wide, Obama billed the "effective partnership" with Pakistan as one of the three "core elements" for defeating extremism, along with increases of both troops and civilians. "We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan," he said as he rolled out his new strategy for Afghanistan.
"That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border," he said, more than eight years after al Qaeda launched the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington from bases in Afghanistan. "In the past, there have been those in Pakistan who have argued that the struggle against extremism is not their fight, and that Pakistan is better off doing little or seeking accommodation with those who use violence," he said.
"But in recent years, as innocents have been killed from Karachi to Islamabad, it has become clear that it is the Pakistani people who are the most endangered by extremism. Public opinion has turned," the president said. "Public opinion has turned. The Pakistani army has waged an offensive in Swat and South Waziristan. And there is no doubt that the United States and Pakistan share a common enemy," he said. "In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over," Obama said.
"Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interests, mutual respect, and mutual trust," he told his audience. "We will strengthen Pakistan's capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear," he said.
"America is also providing substantial resources to support Pakistan's democracy and development. We are the largest international supporter for those Pakistanis displaced by the fighting," he said. "And going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan's security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed.