WASHINGTON: The Obama administration is expected to ask Pakistan to “do more” in its one-year review of the Afghan war strategy, which is due today (Thursday).
The report notes that although Pakistan has been fighting the Taliban insurgents in some of its northern areas, it needs to expand its offensive, especially to North Waziristan. The assessment presented to President Obama for approval yesterday in a two-hour meeting alleges the presence of militant sanctuaries in Balochistan, which is directly across the border from Kandahar, Afghanistan.
“The US has been in touch with General Kayani on this issue,” a source at the Pentagon said, adding that the US needs Pakistan’s cooperation to succeed in Afghanistan. “We need Pakistan’s help to hunt terrorists operating along its border,” the official remarked. He was hopeful that Pakistan would move against the Taliban sanctuaries in Balochistan.
The official termed drone strikes in Pakistan a success and said they had killed several Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that the results (of the review) will not surprise anyone. He added that the safe havens were one of the challenges the US must overcome to achieve lasting progress in Afghanistan. “There’s no doubt about that, I think you’ll see that in the review,” Gibbs confirmed. The review is expected to cite progress in combating the Taliban in Afghanistan, degrading the strength of Al Qaeda, and improving cooperation with the Pakistani government, Gibbs said. “It will show big challenges that still hamper the war effort, including Afghanistan’s capacity to build up its own basic services and security forces, and the ability of militants to reside in Pakistan and undermine security in Afghanistan – there’s absolutely no doubt about that,” Gibbs said.
It is unclear how many US troops the White House would like to withdraw from Afghanistan starting next year. The transition is expected to be completed by 2014.
