Leon Panetta admits USA cannot win in Afghanistan without Pakistan
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011 5:51:59 by Ammar Ahmad
Leon Panetta admits USA cannot win in Afghanistan without Pakistan
US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said on Tuesday that it was important to reach out to Pakistan if the United States wants to dismantle Afghan militant havens.
“It’s been said a number of times that ultimately we can’t win the war in Afghanistan without being able to win in our relationship with Pakistan as well,” said Panetta.
The US Secretary of Defence is visiting Kabul to discuss the situation in Pakistan and to reaffirm America’s commitment to Afghanistan as Washington starts to withdraw combat troops and hand over security to Afghan forces.
“It’s going to be important, as we continue to move and progress in our efforts in Afghanistan, that we continue to outreach to Pakistan. This has been a difficult and complicated relationship but it is an important relationship.
Pakistan shut the US supply line into landlocked Afghanistan on November 26 after the Nato attack on a Pakistani check post that killed 25 Pakistani soldiers, saying that the blockade could last weeks longer, and forced Americans to leave the Shamsi air
base.
US officials have accused Pakistan of supporting the Afghan Taliban and its Haqqani faction, whose leaders are based on Pakistani soil.
“They have provided cooperation in areas that have been important to us and at the same time we’ve had some serious difficulties with regards to the operations that involve groups in the Fata (Pakistan’s tribal belt) and groups along the border.”
Pakistan called the November 26 attack deliberate. US commanders deny it was intentional. US investigators are due to submit a report on December 23.
“In the end Pakistan and the US do share the same concerns with regards to terrorism,” said Panetta.
Tags: Afghanistan, Leon Panetta, Pakistan ArmyShort URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=6099
Posted by Ammar Ahmad
on Dec 14 2011. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan.
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