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Act tough on terror, US warns Pak

Obama in a letter to Zardari asks Pak to stop using insurgents as a strategic tool
Last Updated 30 November 2009, 16:44 IST
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The message, which has been conveyed in a letter from US President Barack Obama to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, also includes an offer to try to “reduce tensions” between India and Pakistan, ‘The Washington Post’ reported on Monday.
The two-page letter, hand-delivered by National Security Adviser General (retd) James Jones during his visit to Islamabad early this month, offers Pakistan enhancement of strategic partnership if they act as wished by the US, besides additional military and economic aid.

In his letter, Obama has also warned Pakistan that its use of insurgent groups for policy goals “cannot continue” and called for closer collaboration against all extremist groups.

Terror havens
Jones had earlier said that the US was “doing everything” to make sure that Pakistan smashes terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and denies them safe havens.
“I can assure you that we have made our position very clear (to Pakistan). We continue to have daily interaction (with Pakistan), we are doing everything, we can to encourage them to disarm all of them because I said it is in their own interest,” Jones had said.

“There is no question that the so-called safe havens in Pakistan are deeply troubling our efforts,” Jones had said.

Jones did some straight-talking with the top Pakistani leadership, the daily said.
“If Pakistan cannot deliver, he warned, the US may be impelled to use any means at its disposal to rout insurgents based along Pakistan’s western and southern borders with Afghanistan,” the paper said.

In his letter to Zardari, Obama has named five such groups — al-Qaeda, the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Tehrik-e-Taliban.
“Using vague diplomatic language, he said that ambiguity in Pakistan’s relationship with any of them could no longer be ignored,” the Washington Post reported.

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(Published 30 November 2009, 16:44 IST)

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