US outreach to Pakistan continues despite attacks

Pakistan

US outreach to Pakistan continues despite attacks

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Obama administration officials said US still wants to pursue a working partnership with Pakistan.

24 September,2011 02:10 am

Obama administration officials said Friday that the US wants to continue working with Pakistan, even as they expanded on assertions that Islamabads spy agency supported and encouraged attacks by Haqqani network extremists on the US Embassy in Afghanistan last week.A military official said Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen decided to lay out accusations against Pakistans ISI after information about the linkage became more available in recent weeks.Its been a very busy summer for the Haqqani network, and its gotten worse, said Mullen spokesman Capt. John Kirby.Their activity has become more brazen, more aggressive, more lethal, and the information has become more available, that these attacks have been supported or even encouraged by the ISI.Mullens comments to the Senate Armed Services Committee, during a hearing Thursday, triggered vehement denials from Pakistani leaders. Kirby said Mullen discussed the problem specifically with Pakistan Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani late last week.Pentagon press secretary George Little and Kirby would not say whether the US has provided Pakistan any hard evidence about the ISIs support of the Haqqanis.Kirby said Mullen has not spoken to Kayani since Thursdays hearing. He added that the US still wants to pursue a working partnership with the Pakistani military, but it depends in large measure on their willingness and their ability to disconnect themselves from extremist groups like the Haqqanis.At the White House, press secretary Jay Carney said the United States will continue its outreach to Pakistan. But he added that it is imperative that Pakistan take strong and immediate action against the network.Carney said the administration knows the Haqqani network was responsible for the attacks on the US Embassy in Kabul and several other assaults. He reiterated that the United States has an important relationship with Pakistan and said Washington will make its concerns clear.