The United States has an important relationship with Pakistan that it endeavors to work on every day, the White House said on Wednesday, a day after Islamabad summoned its top diplomat to protest against drone strikes that apparently killed the al Qaeda number two leader.
“We have an important relationship with Pakistan that we endeavor to work on everyday because it is in our national security interest to do so,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily news conference.
Carney said the US continued its negotiations with Pakistan on reopening of the ground lines of communication which were closed around six months ago. “I don’t have an update for you on that. Both, obviously this administration and the government of Pakistan are committed to resolving that issue. We believe that it will be resolved, but I have no specific updates for you on that,” he said.
“We have regular contacts and consultations with the Pakistanis,” he said in response to a question. Carney said US President Barack Obama was firmly committed to carrying out his policy objective in Afghanistan and in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, which was to disrupt, dismantle and ultimately defeat al Qaeda. “He is committed to disrupting, dismantling and ultimately defeating al Qaeda beyond that region, too. That’s why we cooperate with countries around the world in efforts to counter al Qaeda and other extremists,” he said.
He also confirmed the killing of al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al-Libi, who helped steer the terrorist group after Osama bin Laden’s death. Al-Libi’s death was “another serious blow to core al Qaeda”, Jay Carney said. “His death is part of the degradation taking place in core al Qaeda in the last several years.” However, Carney was unable to provide further details. Earlier Tuesday, US officials said that al-Libi was killed by a CIA drone strike in Pakistan launched on Monday.
Al-Libi’s death marks one of the most significant blows to al Qaeda since the US military killed Osama bin Laden in a daring nighttime raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, near Islamabad on May 2 last year. Al-Libi was second-in-command behind al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who took the helm after bin Laden’s death.
“There is no one who even comes close in terms of replacing the expertise (al Qaeda) has just lost,” CNN cited an unnamed US official as saying. Al-Libi “played a critical role in the group’s planning against the West, providing oversight of the external operations efforts”, the official said adding, “Zawahiri will be hard-pressed to find any one person who can readily step into Abu Yahya’s shoes.” “In addition to his gravitas as a longstanding member of AQ’s leadership, Abu Yahya’s religious credentials gave him the authority to issue fatwas, operational approvals and guidance to the core group in Pakistan and regional affiliates.” An Islamic scholar and high-ranking member of the group, al-Libi frequently appeared in Internet videos, CNN said. He gave many videotaped speeches praising al Qaeda leaders, urging resistance and trying to recruit new members.