Pakistan says Obama pressure on militants hurts Afghanistan

President Barack Obama's warning to Islamabad over suspected ties to militants will only fuel anti-Americanism and make it harder for Pakistan to support U.S. efforts to stabilise Afghanistan, a senior senator said on Friday.

Pakistan is seen as critical to bringing peace to neighbouring Afghanistan, but the United States has failed to persuade it to go after militant groups it says cross the border to attack Western forces in Afghanistan.

"This is not helping either the United States, Afghanistan or Pakistan," Salim Saifullah, chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, told Reuters.

"There will be pressure on the (Pakistan) government to get out of this war," he said, referring to the U.S. war on militancy.

Obama warned Pakistan on Thursday that its ties with "unsavory characters" had put relations with the United States at risk, as he ratcheted up pressure on Islamabad to cut links with militants mounting attacks in Afghanistan.

His comments are likely to deepen a crisis in the strategic alliance between the United States and Pakistan.

Obama accused Pakistan's leaders of "hedging their bets" on Afghanistan's future, but stopped short of threatening to cut off U.S. aid, despite calls from lawmakers for a tougher line over accusations that Pakistani intelligence supported strikes on U.S. targets in Afghanistan.

Pakistan says it has sacrificed more than any other nation that joined America's global "war on terror" after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, losing 10,000 soldiers and security forces, and 30,000 civilians.

Pakistan is often accused of playing a double game, vowing to help the United States fight some militant groups while using others as proxies in Afghanistan.

Ties were heavily damaged after U.S. special forces launched a secret raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May, which Islamabad saw as a violation of its sovereignty.

pat tomasulo

pat tomasulo


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WGN's Pat Tamosulo hosts 'Live! with Regis and Kelly,' wins over female viewers

Mark Caro | Tribune staff reporter
August 4, 2009

Regis Philbin still got his share of air time, but WGN-Ch. 9 morning sports anchor Pat Tomasulo looked like he enjoyed keeping the co-host's seat warm Tuesday morning on "Live! with Regis and Kelly."

Tomasulo was one of five local TV personalities who won an online vote to become the "From Local To ‘Live' Co-Host for a Day" and to sit next to Kelly Ripa for an hour of live television this week. Tomasulo, whose "WGN Morning News" anchor Larry Potash missed the cut, came off as clean-cut and cheerful, with bright teeth, slightly squinty eyes, a dapper gray suit and some cranky undertones.

Referring to himself as "my station's Andy Rooney ," Tomasulo recounted the kind of pet peeves he confronts in his WGN man-on-the-street encounters (walking texters, cold-weather shirtless runners, vanity license plates), and he and Ripa also shared their dislike for lying on the beach near children.

"You get everything from a dog that you get from kids," said the childless Tomasulo, "but they don't grow up to resent you."

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"Do you watch ‘Jon and Kate Plus 8 '?" Ripa later asked.

"I try not to," Tomasulo cracked.

Ripa then noted that Kate Gosselin would be on an upcoming show. Oh.

Tomasulo mentioned that the "WGN Morning News," which precedes "Live! with Regis and Kelly" in Chicago, is the only WGN show that doesn't go out nationally on the superstation, so this was his big shot at national exposure. Still, his "Live!" appearance became less about Chicago than New Jersey, as he and Ripa bonded over tales of their Garden State roots. (He's from north Jersey; she's from south.)

Philbin needed a fill-in because he was taping new prime-time episodes of "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" but he nonetheless was the focus of two promotional segments from the game show's set.

Tomasulo asked Philbin whether running into Meredith Viera , who hosts the daytime "Millionaire," was like "West Side Story" —i.e. a Sharks vs. Jets kind of rivalry—but Philbin didn't bite.

"She looks great, and she's a lot of fun to see," Philbin said.

The on-set interview with Vanessa Hudgens was relatively brief, with Ripa taking charge while Tomasulo managed the occasional aside.

Nonetheless, he apparently passed the audition, as Ripa toward the end of the show read viewer e-mails such as "Your co-host is smokin' hot. Is he single, and can you hook me up?"

Sorry, girls, Tomasulo revealed: "There is a lady in my life. I call her Woman."

Other e-mailers thought he looked like Ben Affleck , Tom Cruise and Gilbert Gottfried . Tomasulo's Gottfried impression was most convincing.

"Thank you, Pat, you've been a joy," Ripa said as the credits rolled. Tomasulo smiled again, and he was gone.