Washington: US President Barack Obama
today said that Pakistan has begun taking action against
extremists and vowed that he will not tolerate any safe havens
for al-Qaeda, Taliban and their allies.
"In Pakistan, we`ve seen the government begin to
take the fight to violent extremists within its borders.
Major blows have been struck against al-Qaeda and its
leadership," Obama said in his remarks to Disabled
American Veterans at Atlanta Atlanta, Georgia.
"In this region and beyond, we will tolerate no safe
for al Qaeda and their extremist allies. We will disrupt,
dismantle, and ultimately defeat al-Qaeda.
We will give our troops the resources and equipment
to get the job done and keep our country safe," he said.
Obama said it was in Afghanistan where al-Qaeda
plotted and trained to murder 3,000 innocent people on 9/11.
It is Afghanistan and the tribal regions of
Pakistan where terrorists have launched other attacks against
us and our allies, he said.
If Afghanistan were to be engulfed by an even wide
insurgency, al-Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates would have
even more space to plan their next attack.
"As President of the United States, I refuse to let
that happen," he said.
That is why, after years in which the situation had
deteriorated in Afghanistan, I announced a new strategy last
December a military effort to break the Taliban`s momentum and
train Afghan forces so they can take the lead for security; a
civilian effort to promote good governance and development
that improves the lives of the Afghan people; and deeper
cooperation with Pakistan to root out terrorists on both sides
of the border, Obama said.
The United States is facing a huge challenges in
Afghanistan, he said adding that it is important that the
American people know that the US is making progress and is
focused on goals that are clear and achievable.
"On the military front, nearly all the additional
forces that I ordered to Afghanistan are now in place," he
said.
"Along with our Afghan and international partners,
were going on the offensive against the Taliban? targeting
their leaders, challenging them in regions where they`d had
free reign, and training Afghan National Security Forces," he
said.
On the civilian front, we`re insisting on greater
accountability, and the Afghan government has taken concrete
steps to foster development; to combat corruption; and to put
forward a reintegration plan that allows Afghans to lay down
their arms, Obama said in his speech.
PTI
