U.S. national security adviser Susan Rice on Sunday told top civilian and military leaders in Islamabad that attacks in neighboring Afghanistan by Pakistan-based militants were “absolutely unacceptable,” according to a senior American official.
During a one-day stop in Pakistan after a visit to China, Ms. Rice also delivered an invitation for Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington in October.
Ms. Rice pressed Pakistan to do more to prevent terrorists from using its territory as a base for attacks on its neighboring states and to improve ties with India and Afghanistan. Islamabad accuses both countries of sponsoring anti-Pakistan militants.
“In Islamabad today, discussed how to deepen coop. to tackle shared priorities. Encouraged Pakistan to advance regional peace & stability,” a post on Ms. Rice’s Twitteraccount said on Sunday. She met Mr. Sharif and the country’s army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif.
Washington has warned Pakistan that it stands to lose $300 million in U.S. military aid if it doesn’t crack down harder on the Haqqani network, American officials said. U.S. officials have described the Haqqani network as closely tied to Pakistan’s military intelligence agency.
A statement from Mr. Sharif’s office said: “The United States is an important partner of Pakistan in all areas especially the economy, defense and counterterrorism.”
The Afghan government has lashed out at Pakistan over a series of deadly bombings in Kabul in recent weeks that have killed dozens of people—including three Americans—andwhich the Afghan government blames on the Haqqani network, a jihadist group it says is based in Pakistan.
“We share the concern of the Afghan government. This is absolutely unacceptable,” said the American official. Ms. Rice told Pakistani leaders that “terrorist and militant attacks have developed into a key point of regional friction. Addressing this challenge will be imperative for Pakistan’s relations with its neighbors and with Washington,” the official said, though she said U.S.-Pakistani relations were “very good.”
Analysts believe the U.S. wants Islamabad to go after the leadership of the Haqqani network, which Washington says operates freely in Pakistan. The head of the Haqqani network was made deputy leader of the Taliban at a meeting late last month in the western Pakistani city of Quetta, after confirmation of the death of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, according to the Taliban.
Pakistan denies that leaders of the Taliban or Haqqani network are based in the country, though Islamabad admits they may visit the country. Critics allege Pakistan uses these groups as its proxies in Afghanistan.
A tweet from the official Twitter account of a Pakistan military spokesman said that during the meeting between Ms. Rice and Gen. Raheel, “Both dignitaries also recognized the continued need for close coordination for ensuring peace & stability in [Afghanistan] and the region.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/rice-condemns-pakistan-based-militant-attacks-in-afghanistan-1440958218
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