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Susan Rice, Obama’s Security Adviser, Urges Pakistan to Do More Against Militants
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Obama’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, urged Pakistani civilian and military leaders on Sunday to do more to stop militants from using Pakistani territory to stage attacks in neighboring countries.
In a daylong visit to the capital, Islamabad, Ms. Rice met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Gen. Raheel Sharif, the army chief, and other senior government officials. Ms. Rice also formally extended an invitation from President Obama to Mr. Sharif to visit Washington in October.
The Haqqani network, the militant faction that United States officials say is responsible for the recent increase in violence and suicide attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, figured prominently in the talks. American officials expressed concerns about possible future attacks inside Afghanistan and pressed the Pakistanis to take specific measures to avert them.
Pakistani officials maintain that they have wrested North Waziristan, the tribal region bordering Afghanistan that had long been a redoubt of local and foreign militants, from the control of the Taliban. The military began an offensive in North Waziristan last year and is involved in a clearing operation in Shawal Valley, the last area in the region where ground troops had not moved in.
The United States says that not enough has been done to rein in the Haqqani network, despite Pakistan’s insistence to the contrary. A series of bombings in Afghanistan in August killed at least three Americans and many more Afghan civilians.
A senior American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it was a diplomatic matter, said that Ms. Rice noted during Sunday’s meetings that militant attacks have developed into a main point of regional friction. “Addressing this challenge will be imperative for Pakistan’s relations with its neighbors and with Washington,” the official said, “especially given the recent upsurge in violence in Kabul and the Taliban’s bloody campaign this fighting season in Afghanistan.”
The visit was unrelated to the growing tensions between India and Pakistan. It had been scheduled weeks ago, the senior American official said. Pakistani and Indian troops have been trading fire across the border of the disputed Kashmir region, leading to civilian casualties on both sides.
Pakistani officials say that while they are expected to do more against militants, there is also a need for Americans and Afghans to counter the threat. During the meeting, Pakistani officials expressed concerns over Washington’s possible withholding of $300 million in military aid if the United States decides that Pakistan is not doing enough to combat attacks emanating from within its territory.
A senior Pakistani security official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the meeting between Ms. Rice and General Sharif lasted for two hours. “The discussion was very candid,” he said. “It discussed the part that has to be played by all stakeholders, including the Americans. The focus was on the way forward.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/w...es-pakistan-to-do-more-against-militants.html
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Obama’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, urged Pakistani civilian and military leaders on Sunday to do more to stop militants from using Pakistani territory to stage attacks in neighboring countries.
In a daylong visit to the capital, Islamabad, Ms. Rice met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Gen. Raheel Sharif, the army chief, and other senior government officials. Ms. Rice also formally extended an invitation from President Obama to Mr. Sharif to visit Washington in October.
The Haqqani network, the militant faction that United States officials say is responsible for the recent increase in violence and suicide attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, figured prominently in the talks. American officials expressed concerns about possible future attacks inside Afghanistan and pressed the Pakistanis to take specific measures to avert them.
Pakistani officials maintain that they have wrested North Waziristan, the tribal region bordering Afghanistan that had long been a redoubt of local and foreign militants, from the control of the Taliban. The military began an offensive in North Waziristan last year and is involved in a clearing operation in Shawal Valley, the last area in the region where ground troops had not moved in.
The United States says that not enough has been done to rein in the Haqqani network, despite Pakistan’s insistence to the contrary. A series of bombings in Afghanistan in August killed at least three Americans and many more Afghan civilians.
A senior American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it was a diplomatic matter, said that Ms. Rice noted during Sunday’s meetings that militant attacks have developed into a main point of regional friction. “Addressing this challenge will be imperative for Pakistan’s relations with its neighbors and with Washington,” the official said, “especially given the recent upsurge in violence in Kabul and the Taliban’s bloody campaign this fighting season in Afghanistan.”
The visit was unrelated to the growing tensions between India and Pakistan. It had been scheduled weeks ago, the senior American official said. Pakistani and Indian troops have been trading fire across the border of the disputed Kashmir region, leading to civilian casualties on both sides.
Pakistani officials say that while they are expected to do more against militants, there is also a need for Americans and Afghans to counter the threat. During the meeting, Pakistani officials expressed concerns over Washington’s possible withholding of $300 million in military aid if the United States decides that Pakistan is not doing enough to combat attacks emanating from within its territory.
A senior Pakistani security official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the meeting between Ms. Rice and General Sharif lasted for two hours. “The discussion was very candid,” he said. “It discussed the part that has to be played by all stakeholders, including the Americans. The focus was on the way forward.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/w...es-pakistan-to-do-more-against-militants.html
