Tough talks were necessary to 'clear the air' with Pakistan: Clinton - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's tough talks during her three-day Pakistan visit may have upset the hosts, but the top US Diplomat herself clarified that such an approach was necessary to 'clear the air' with one of the major US allies in the 'war on terror'. In an interview with CNN, Clinton said it was important for the Pakistani leadership to realise the impending threat. "I don't think the way you deal with negative feelings is to pretend they're not there," Clinton said. "I think it's important, if we are going to have the kind of cooperative partnership, that I think is in the best interest of both of our countries, for me to express some of the questions that are on the minds of the American people," she added. When asked that what she actually meant by pointing out that Pakistan government was infact aware of the presence of Al-Qaeda leadership inside the country's boundary, but didn't wanted to act, Clinton said she was not suggesting that the government insiders might be helping the extremists. "No, no, what I was responding to is what I have been really doing on this trip, which is there exists a trust deficit, certainly on the part of Pakistanis towards the United States, towards our intentions and our actions. And yet we have so much in common, we face a common threat," Clinton said. When asked that whether she had underestimated the level of anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, Clinton said she was aware of the adverse situation. "No, because I've been following the research and the polling that's gone on for a couple of years. I knew that we were inheriting a pretty negative situation that we were going to have to address," she said. Clinton said her three-day visit to Pakistan was not aimed at proving the point that Washington's every action concerning that country was perfect. "I wanted to demonstrate that, look, we are not coming here claiming that everything we've done is perfect. I've admitted to mistakes by our country going back in time, but I've also reminded people that we've been partners and allies from the beginning of Pakistan's inception as a country," she said.