The Afghan Puzzle

But the problem with Pakistan is not just a lack of relationship. It strikes me that there are core issues where U.S. interests collide with Pakistani interests.

Like?
Operating in the tribal areas. We're encouraging them to do it because it makes our troops in Afghanistan more secure and maybe helps prevent future terrorists attacks. But for Pakistan, it amounts to stirring the hornets' nest.

Terrorism is their problem too. They've lost hundreds of Pakistani citizens to suicide bombers. It is marching closer to their cities, out of the FATA, the North-West Frontier. They know these leaders: Hakani, Basu, Hekmatyar, Nazir, the LET, Latvi, this guy they just wrapped up. And that threat is syndicating now and is becoming more of a threat to them. We didn't have to push very hard. I mean the Marriott bombing really got their attention. And you know, as President [Asif Ali] Zadari has said, they killed his wife. So there's not much pushing [by the United States] that goes with that. There is the freedom in the FATA which has permitted the Taliban to train there. They have a rich relationship with the Taliban … This is the safe-haven issue, and it's got to go away. And in that regard I've pushed him and other leaders very hard, and I'll continue to do that. Then there's the third, and for us, I think the most important threat, which is the freedom to Al Qaeda to live there. Al Qaeda leadership lives there. And we need to continue to exert great pressure there and create as much difficulty for Al Qaeda in that safe haven as possible.

You were in Israel in July. Tell me about that.
I've seen [Israeli Army Chief of Staff Gabi] Ashkenazi a lot. We're very close; it's a key relationship. I also have a great relationship with the Navy chief. He gave me a helicopter ride a couple of years ago. I'm always reminded when we go to Israel how small the country is. [It's] in a tough neighborhood, not a lot of friends, and the timelines are very short so that it doesn't take me long in a helicopter to go from Gaza to the border in Lebanon or Syria.

If U.S. diplomacy fails to stop Iran from moving ahead with its nuclear program, how do you think Israel will respond — and what can it do militarily on its own?
I don't want to get into the question of whether will Israel go it alone; that's all just way too sensitive. But … I believe that Iran achieving nuclear status will be incredibly destabilizing in a part of the world that is pretty unstable already. And I worry a great deal about a strike in and of itself and its effects. I also worry about the unintended consequences of a strike on Iran. That's the danger in this.

How do you defuse all that?
There is a full range of options. My strong belief is we need to do it diplomatically, to bring as much international pressure on Iran so that they become a responsible country with respect to the region and modify their behavior accordingly.

© 2009