LAHORE – Safe havens in Pakistan’s tribal areas now form the epicentre of terrorism in the world, Admiral Mike Mullen, US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said late on Wednesday. “It deserves the attention of everybody to do as much as we can to eliminate that threat,” he said. “We cannot succeed in Afghanistan without shutting down those safe havens.” Mullen pointed out that he had had many meetings with Pakistan’s army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani on the topic. “He has evolved his military against this threat, and this threat is evolving as well,” Mullen said of Kayani’s anti-terrorism strategy. “It’s not just Haqqani any more, or Al Qaeda, or the Afghan Taliban or LeT, it’s all of them working together, in ways that two years ago they absolutely did not.” “The recent assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer and the fragile situation of the ruling coalition government highlight some of the political challenges that country faces,” Mullen said.
He underscored the importance of Pakistan, saying the country’s assistance was crucial to eliminating terrorist safe havens in the region. He said US national security strategy remained focused on countering terrorism in Afghanistan, while Pakistan’s role in ensuring regional security remained critical. The recent Afghanistan-Pakistan review provided a clear picture of how well US strategy in the region was working, he said.
