Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Congrats to Secretary Clinton

I think we all tend to criticize too much and praise too little, especially with public officials. So I was impressed today to see proven provider John McCreary, who has forgotten more about intelligence than I will ever know, commend Hillary Clinton for her sharp comments in Pakistan yesterday: “The US secretary of state questioned ...

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577944_091030_hillary2.jpg
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stands next to a Pakistani national flag as she looks at Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani while Gilani meets with US officials before a meeting at The Prime Minister House in Islamabad on October 28, 2009. The United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against "brutal extremist groups", visiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on October 28 after a massive bomb blast. AFP PHOTO/ AAMIR QURESHI (Photo credit should read AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)

I think we all tend to criticize too much and praise too little, especially with public officials. So I was impressed today to see proven provider John McCreary, who has forgotten more about intelligence than I will ever know, commend Hillary Clinton for her sharp comments in Pakistan yesterday:

“The US secretary of state questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the fight against al-Qaida, saying she found it hard to believe that no-one in the Pakistan government knows where senior figures are hiding.

“I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn’t get them if they really wanted to,” she told a group of newspaper editors during a meeting in the city of Lahore on Thursday.

Bravo for Secretary Clinton.  Either the Pakistani security services contain senior officers who know where bin Laden is and are lying or they are incompetent and ought to be dismissed. There are no other explanations for Pakistan having become the headquarters for al Qaida and the base area for international Islamic terrorism.

‘Nuff said.

AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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