'The world cannot afford a failed Pak'

Pakistan cannot be allowed to disintegrate into a failed state as it will be a risk to Europe and the rest of the world, former US chief of defence staff said.

Pakistan cannot be allowed to disintegrate into a failed state as it will be a risk to Europe and the rest of the world, former US chief of defence staff said.

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“It’s a risk to Europe, it’s a risk to the rest of the world, because we cannot allow al Qaeda to grow in an environment of chaos in that part of the world,” Powell, the former US Secretary of State said.

Implying that if Pakistan failed, so will Afghanistan, Powell said: “We can’t allow Pakistan to fail and we don’t want Afghanistan to fail”.

Hoping that the NATO and European allies of the US would understand the risk involved and support Obama Administration in winning the war against terror in the region, Powell told MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” that Pakistan as a “sanctuary” for Taliban cannot be allowed.

“If Pakistan remains a sanctuary, a place where Al Qaeda and the Taliban can regroup and get recruits, that isn’t going to solve the problem. American troops aren’t going to go into Pakistan. We have to work with the Pakistanis so they can bring that problem under control,” Powell said.