Pakistan’s army and intelligence chiefs told CIA Director Leon Panetta they were not willing to reverse a decision to cut the number of U.S. troops allowed in Pakistan, Pakistani military officials said on Saturday.
Panetta, nominated to take over as defence secretary next month, arrived in Pakistan on Friday on an unannounced visit, his first trip since a secret U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden and severely damaged ties between the allies.
Pakistan’s army said on Thursday it had drastically cut down the number of U.S. troops allowed in the country and set clear limits on intelligence sharing with the United States.
“He (Panetta) expressed concerns over the reduction of trainers and operatives. We told him very clearly ‘no boots on our soil is acceptable’,” said a Pakistani military official.
Panetta held talks with army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, head of military intelligence.
U.S. officials have confirmed that Pakistan is severely cutting back the presence of American military personnel and intelligence agents but Washington still expects some to remain in the country.
A U.S. official described the talks as productive and said “at root, this isn’t about numbers. It’s about a commitment to thwart al-Qaeda and its militant allies.
“The United States is confident that the Pakistanis understand the stakes involved, particularly when their own people are suffering from all-too-frequent terrorist attacks,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan tells CIA chief it sticks to US troop cuts
