Edwards: Pakistan hawk?

On September 7 at Pace University, Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards outlined his anti-terror plan. Like several of the other Democrats, Edwards sounds somewhat hawkish on Pakistan.

His words have certainly been interpreted that way.

Is the perception accurate?

After pointing out the NIE report about the Pakistani safe haven, and the billions in aid delivered to Musharraf's regime, Edwards said:

As president, I will condition future American aid on progress by Pakistan, including strengthening the reach of police forces and working more effectively with tribal leaders and their members to ensure their acceptance of the government. But I want to be clear about one thing: if we have actionable intelligence about imminent terrorist activity and the Pakistan government refuses to act, we will.

By including the word "imminent," Edwards is highlighting his agreement with longstanding international norms.


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