US will keep supporting Pak to destroy terror networks: State Dept

• Spokesperson applauds Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process
• Says he can’t confirm if US Secretary John Kerry received a letter from Senator Bob Corker about sale of F-16s to Pakistan

The United States has expressed the commitment to continue cooperation with Pakistan till the complete eradication of terrorism.

“It is in our (the US) interest to cooperate in Pakistan’s anti-terrorism efforts,” Deputy Spokesperson of US State Department Mark Toner told a daily press briefing here Thursday.

“We believe it’s in our vital national security interests to support Pakistan in carrying out its efforts to destroy these terrorist networks,” he said.

The spokesperson also lauded Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process.

“We believe it’s an important partner in the region in achieving a stable and secure Afghanistan. So – and in that regard we would welcome Pakistan’s efforts to support Afghan-led reconciliation talks, for example. They hosted the Heart of Asia ministerial (meeting) recently and two of the first three meetings of the Quadrilateral Coordination Group. And they have carried out, as I said, multiple operations against some of these terrorist networks that are operating on their soil. We believe that destroying, eliminating those networks is in our national security interests, as well as the security interests of the region,” added Toner.

He admitted that no country in the region had been more touched by terrorism than Pakistan.

Asked whether US Secretary John Kerry had received a letter from Senator Bob Corker in which he claimed to have alleged that terrorist groups in particular Haqqani Network were using the safe havens inside Pakistan to attack US forces in Afghanistan and for which he threaten to block the sale of F-16s to Pakistan, Toner said,” Can’t confirm we’ve received the letter. As a matter of policy, though, we don’t comment on proposed arms sales or transfers or even our preliminary consultations with the Hill, with Capitol Hill, prior to any formal congressional notification. But to your broader issue, we are committed to working with Congress to deliver security assistance to our partners and our allies that we believe furthers US foreign policy interests by building the capacity to meet shared security challenges.”

To another question he said,” We believe US security assistance to Pakistan actually contributes to their counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations. These operations reduce the ability of militants to use Pakistani territory to carry out – as a safe haven to carry out terrorist attacks and as a base of support for the insurgency in Afghanistan. So we believe these operations are in the interests of both Pakistan and the United States and in the interests of the region more broadly.”