Was he right to speak out?

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/367g6w4

Was David Cameron right to speak out over Pakistan on his visit to India?

By the reaction it got both in Pakistan and in this country, it would appear that some factions would wish he had kept his mouth shut.

But then It doesn't take much for some to start burning effigies of those they don't like.

http://i.dailymail.co...005DC-790_468x337.jpg

[ummmm]

I think he was right....

[daffy654]

They could have at least spelled his name right when burning an effigy of him. Who is David Camroon?

Yes he was right to speak out if that is what he thinks. It also happens to be true to some degree.

[Davethedog]

I think there is no doubt he was right.

However I am not sure if he was right to speak out in such a direct way, part of being PM is being a statesman. If we were going to say it the minister of defence should have said something, where upon the PM could have soothed troubled waters.

Don't get me wrong I don't care about the sensibilities of Pakistan, I worry about the soldiers and others who need a requirement of duty from Pakistan and those whithin Pakistans borders.

As can be seen on the news the general populace are burning effigies of our PM. We debate and intellectualise whereas they "probably" see it as an attack on Islam.

Never has a truer word been said I just think it should have been a little more "diplomaticaly.

[sandyRoe]

I don't think he was right to say what he did in India, a country that has been at war with Pakistan. Though it's true that Pakistan is funding and arming rebels in kashmir.
It would make you question his judgement, or that of his advisors.

[McMouse]

For too long politicians have pussy-footed around being "diplomatic". I say good for Cameron telling it as it is. I also think this is part of the softening up process preparing the way for serious hot persuit of taliban into the tribal areas of Pakistan.

[sp1814]

It's a semi-clever move on the part of Cameron.

India is a HUGE trading partner and will continue to be for the next decade at least (because of it's investment in it's IT infrastructure).

What Cameron was actually saying WASN'T that the Pakistan government sponsor terrorism, but that there were factions within Pakistan which were responsible for funding and supporting terrorism.

That is an undeniable fact.

To say it in India is a 'semi-clever' move because on the one hand he's saying what he thinks he wants India to hear, but then we have a relationship with Pakistan which needs to be maintained.

...difficult balancing act.

[Gromit]

He was wrong.

Sometimes the smart thing to do is say nothing. Everybody knows Pakistan is a problem, we have discussed it many times on here. But we still need them if we are to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan. They may not be the perfect ally, but they are the only country able to help us.

[1rovert]

If the Pakistan government doesn't like the truth. Hard luck. Some of their people do support the taliban, and some over in the UK plan to do damage here. If they think what Cameron said was untrue, let's see them prove it. Personaly I'd use the French way, and kick the types that want to hurt the UK out of the Country(born here, or not), or take away any benifits they are collecting.

[Dodger666]

It's a sad state of affairs when the British Prime Minister is chastised for speaking the truth. Come to think of it they don't do it too often!