Pakistan needs to review the relationship it has had with terrorist groups, the Pentagon said emphasising the importance of continuing dialogue with Islamabad on the subject.
“Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has indicated that dialogue was essential in the US’s complicated relationship with a partner and ally like Pakistan. Differences can be settled over dialogue,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said during an off camera interaction with Pentagon reporters on Thursday.
“I think the Defence Secretary made the point clearly that we would like the historical relationship between the Pakistani state and militant groups such as the Haqqanis and LeT to change during his address at the National Defence University in Pakistan on Tuesday” he said.
“The last few years have been spent in discussion with Pakistan on the need for close cooperation to root out terrorism since the threat is mutual,” he observed.
“We are not in a position to tell whether contacts between Pakistani state representatives and these terrorist outfits are at a high or low level but it is important that Pakistan re-examine these historical relationships,” Little said.
Little said Panetta had been consistent as Defense Secretary and in his prior role to declare al-Qaeda a serious threat.
“The loss of bin Laden dealt a serious blow to the organization. But no one is saying that they are out for good, so it is important to keep the pressure up,” Little said.