Memogate: US finally responds, with caution

Washington: Breaking its silence on “memogate”, the White House said the matter was Pakistan’s internal issue and noted that it worked closely with former Pakistani Ambassador to US Husain Haqqani, who had resigned as a fallout of this controversy.

“We see this very much as an internal issue, relative to Pakistan. So in that respect, it’s the Pakistani Government that we’ll work through any questions associated with this,” the Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told foreign correspondents at the Washington Foreign Press Center yesterday.

Rhodes was responding to questions about the controversy in Pakistan that has resulted in the resignation of Haqqani, who served as the Pakistan Ambassador to the US for more than three and half years.

“We obviously noted that Ambassador Haqqani announced that he is stepping down. He’s been a very close partner, of course, with the United States, and we’ve appreciated the work we’ve done with him,” Rhodes said. He added, “but at the same time, we’re certain that we’ll be able to work with whomever the next Pakistani ambassador is, as well”.

PTI