Washington: The US needs Pakistan to continue its war against terrorism, and therefore the Americans should chase the Haqqanis whenever and wherever they can without provoking Islamabad, a New York Times editorial has said.
The editorial also said that despite Osama’s bin Laden’s presence in the Abbotabad compound before being killed in May and the recent confrontation over the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency’s alleged link to the Haqqani network, America has very little choice but to continue working with Pakistan because it need access and intelligence to be able to go after Al Qaeda and Taliban forces on both sides of the border.
They also need Pakistani routes to deliver military supplies to Afghanistan, it added.
Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US, had yesterday claimed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency was actively supporting the Haqqani network, which is linked to al Qaeda, and blamed it for an assault on the US embassy in Kabul last week.
Mullen had accused Pakistan of "exporting" violent extremism to Afghanistan by allowing militants to act as an "arm" of the intelligence service.
"In choosing to use violent extremism as an instrument of policy, the government of Pakistan – and most especially the Pakistani Army and ISI – jeopardises not only the prospect of our strategic partnership, but also Pakistan`s opportunity to be a respected nation with legitimate regional influence. By exporting violence, they have eroded their internal security and their position in the region," he said.
His comments followed a series of criticism from top Pakistani ministers, who insisted that US should stop spreading wrong messages about their country, otherwise it will end up losing its important ally.
ANI
