Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
U.S. showed Pakistan evidence on militant faction
|
Edition:
U.S.
Article
Comments (0)
Video
Save
Email
Print
Reprints
Most Popular
Most Shared
U.S. banks may end free checking accounts: report
12:55am EDT
German student attacks Hell's Angels with puppy
15 Jun 2010
Nintendo sees life yet in the Wii
16 Jun 2010
UPDATE 2-California gay marriage trial ends dramatically
16 Jun 2010
Miley Cyrus "no underwear" photo is fake, blogger says
15 Jun 2010
U.S. lawmakers rap Turkey for its stance on Israel
16 Jun 2010
Euro slips on Spain worries ahead of auction
| Video
3:13am EDT
U.S. targets bank, shipping in new Iran sanctions
16 Jun 2010
Warren Buffett, Bill Gates ask billionaires to give away wealth
16 Jun 2010
Groups oppose NRA exemption in campaign bill
16 Jun 2010
German student attacks Hell's Angels with puppy
15 Jun 2010
U.S. banks may end free checking accounts: report
12:55am EDT
Despite spill, most Americans back offshore drilling
16 Jun 2010
U.S. lawmakers rap Turkey for its stance on Israel
16 Jun 2010
UPDATE 2-California gay marriage trial ends dramatically
16 Jun 2010
Miley Cyrus eyes starring role in "Wake" thriller
1:21am EDT
Warren Buffett, Bill Gates ask billionaires to give away wealth
16 Jun 2010
BP chief apologizes for "small people" remark
16 Jun 2010
Twilight studio sues to stop sale of Bella jacket
16 Jun 2010
Mexico to hire PR firms to scrub drug war image
16 Jun 2010
U.S. showed Pakistan evidence on militant faction
Adam Entous
WASHINGTON
Thu Jun 17, 2010 2:51am EDT
Related News
Q+A: Who are the Haqqani Network?
2:51am EDT
Related Video
A war of perceptions in Afghanistan
Wed, Jun 16 2010
Commander of the U.S. Central Command, Army General David Petraeus, testifies on the situation in Afghanistan during a hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington June 16, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has presented evidence to Pakistan about the growing threat and reach of a militant faction which Washington suspects has ties to Pakistani intelligence, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.
World
In the presentations, U.S. military leaders provided Pakistan's army chief with information detailing the role of the Haqqani network in a string of increasingly brazen bombings, including one last month targeting the main NATO air base at Bagram in Afghanistan.
Washington has long pressed Islamabad to crack down on the Haqqanis in the North Waziristan tribal zone bordering Afghanistan, who are closely aligned with the Taliban, but U.S. officials acknowledge it is a hard sell because of resistance within Pakistani intelligence.
General David Petraeus, who oversees the Afghan war as head of U.S. Central Command, told a congressional hearing the Haqqanis had "transnational" ambitions, suggesting they could try to strike beyond Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Washington has issued similar warnings about the growing reach of the Pakistani Taliban, which investigators blame for a botched May 1 car bomb in New York's Time Square.
There are strategic reasons for Pakistan's hesitancy to attack the Haqqanis, a faction which some in Islamabad see as a strategic asset that will give them influence in any eventual settlement to the war in neighboring Afghanistan.
One U.S. official said "some elements" of Pakistani intelligence, but far from all, still support the Haqqanis.
Without mentioning the Haqqanis by name, Petraeus acknowledged long-standing ties between Islamabad and what he called "bad guys," suggesting the relationships were useful to gather intelligence on the groups.
But he voiced confidence Pakistanis understood that "you cannot allow poisonous snakes to have a nest in your backyard, even if the tacid agreement is that they're going to bite the neighbors kids instead of yours."
"Eventually," Petraeus said, "they turn around and bite you and your kids."
Pakistan has denied a report by the London School of Economics that alleges enduring ties between its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and the Afghan Taliban.
PAKISTAN INTELLIGENCE ROLE
The report said the agency not only funds and trains Taliban fighters in Afghanistan but is officially represented on the movement's leadership council, giving it significant influence over operations.
Petraeus said there was "no question" Pakistan has maintained "a variety of relationships," in some cases dating back decades, to groups which, with U.S. support, battled the Soviets when they occupied Afghanistan.
"Some of those ties continue in various forms, some of them, by the way, gathering intelligence," he said.
"You have to have contact with bad guys to get intelligence on bad guys."
Some of the groups in question, including the Haqqani network, are now leading the fight against Western forces.
The Pentagon has expressed confidence that Pakistan will eventually mount an offensive in North Waziristan, but has acknowledged the country's armed forces were already stretched by operations in other tribal areas.
"The problem has been one of capacity. And again, we're working hard to enable that capacity," Petraeus said.
Petraeus, General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed Haqqani's alleged role in the bombings in a recent meeting with Pakistan's army chief Ashfaq Kayani.
"We have shared information with him about links of the leadership of the Haqqani network ... that clearly commanded and controlled the operation against Bagram air base and the attack in Kabul, among others," Petraeus said.
Suicide bombers carrying rockets and grenades launched a brazen predawn attack on the base on May 19, killing an American contractor and wounding nine U.S. troops. About a dozen militants, many wearing suicide vests packed with explosives, were killed, the Pentagon said at the time.
A day earlier, a suicide bomber attacked a military convoy in Kabul, killing 12 Afghan civilians and six foreign troops.
Bagram is the main base for U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan, with the largest airfield in the country. It was used by the former Soviet Union during its invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.
(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Todd Eastham)
World
Add a Comment
*We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.
© Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters
Editorial Editions:
Africa
Arabic
Argentina
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Italy
Japan
Latin America
Mexico
Russia
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Reuters
Contact Us
Advertise With Us
Help
Journalism Handbook
Archive
Site Index
Video Index
Reader Feedback
Analyst Research
Mobile
Newsletters
RSS
Podcasts
Widgets
Your View
Labs
Thomson Reuters
Copyright
Disclaimer
Privacy
Professional Products
Professional Products Support
Financial Products
About Thomson Reuters
Careers
Online Products
Acquisitions Monthly
Buyouts
Venture Capital Journal
International Financing Review
Project Finance International
PEhub.com
PE Week
FindLaw
Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.
Other News on Thursday, 17 June 2010 Turkish troops enter Iraq, kill four Kurdish rebels
France raises retirement age in pensions reform
France, Spain set reforms under euro zone pressure
|
World Cup website smashes records
New Pakistan action kills '38 militants in Bajaur'
GM to finance Europe overhaul without state aid
Turkey set to freeze ties with Israel: report
|
AOL close to selling Bebo to private investment firm: WSJ
Gates, Buffett press wealthy to give more to charity
2 US service members killed in Afghanistan
AT&T suspends iPhone pre-orders amid record demand
Israeli panel on Gaza raid says will work quickly
|
Flash floods leave 15 dead in southern France
Nokia cuts outlook citing fierce competition, shares plunge
Muslim states seek U.N. action on West's islamophobia
|
Fourteen killed in Russia's Dagestan region
|
French storms and floods kill 19
|
Nokia cuts outlook citing fierce competition, shares plunge
No rift within Australian team, says Kewell
Huh warns South Korea not to be fazed by Argentina
'Grim legacy' of Agent Orange needs $300 mln
Apple iPhone 4 sets record sale pace despite gaffe
|
Nintendo sees life yet in the Wii
|
Gambia boosts economic ties with Taiwan
AT&T suspends preorders of iPhone 4
|
Cruise, Diaz in Spain for world premiere of 'Knight and Day'
AOL close to selling social network site Bebo: report
|
Cruise, Diaz in Spain for world premiere of 'Knight and Day'
Researchers 85 percent sure Caravaggio's remains found
Art Basel entices cautious buyers with an eye for quality
No rush on Stockholm hotel rooms ahead of royal wedding
Jackie Chan says Karate Kid role a nice break
Actor Chris Klein arrested for drunken driving
|
NATO soldier killed in Afghanistan
Flash floods kill 20 in southern France
Taliban attack police in SE Afghanistan
Medical phone, vibrating earphone shine at trade show
IMF visit fuels speculation on Spain bailout
Kyrgyz turmoil could breed Islamist militancy: U.N.
|
Mexico to hire PR firms to scrub drug war image
|
British govt. shakes up banking regulations
Brazil rainforest logging increases malaria rates
Nimoy and Saldana give Yoostar film karaoke a whirl
Syria's Assad says Israeli raid raises war risk
|
Europe to crack whip on debts under Spain pressure
Twitter all the rage at World Cup
Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart tie knot: report
In reversal, Apple approves 'Ulysses' comic with nudity
U.S. envoy in Seoul for talks on ship sinking
|
No green light for libido-boosting drug: US FDA
San Francisco passes mobile phone radiation law
Japan Democrats to pitch fiscal reform in platform
|
Researchers zero in on 'male menopause' symptoms
Music publishers file copyright suit against LimeWire
U.S. showed Pakistan evidence on militant faction
|
Hubble telescope sheds light on mystery Jupiter flash
Facebook urged to do more to protect user privacy
Forlan powers Uruguay past South Africa
AOL close to selling Bebo to private investment firm: WSJ
'12 Maoists killed' in latest Indian govt attack
Hundreds of flights delayed as storms hit China
US, Europe tighten screws on Iran nuclear program
Chemical tanker sinks near Japan
Minimum and maximum temperatures in Celsius
Pacific nations deny selling Japan whaling votes
N.Korea reportedly uses workers in Africa as fans
Space asteroid pod leaves Australia for Japan
iPhone 4 sets record sale pace despite gaffe
|
46 dead in landslides in Myanmar: state media
Nintendo sees life yet in the Wii
|
Kidnapper of Swiss hostage killed in Philippines: police
Fujitsu and Toshiba to merge mobile businesses
|
Afghan's Karzai to discuss aid with Japan PM
Sprint plans range of embedded devices for holidays
|
Scottish lawmaker resigns over Filipino comments
S.Korean steelmaker eyes Zimbabwe raw materials
Toshiba, Fujitsu to merge mobile phone business
Toyota: China parts supplier hit by brief strike
Foreign firms in China targeted in labour unrest
KFC offers worker rise after pressure: state media
Taiwan's TSMC to invest in US solar panel maker
Toyota is latest car maker hit by strike in China
Internet hit becomes unofficial Germany's W.Cup song
Banksy artwork swiped from Aussie knicker mogul
Toyota to decide on restarting Mississippi plant
Nepal's blind cricketers bat to dispel prejudice
Fans keep chanting amid vuvuzela din
Australia hopes Japanese can become whale lovers too
Bachchans in London for Bollywood film world premiere
Study highlights Egypt's 'invisible' child workers
Internet service company to show 'Cove' in Japan
Jackie Chan calls 'Karate Kid' role a nice break
Oprah gives magazine staff $10,000 each and an iPad
|
ABC ramps up offensive against actress Sheridan
|
Vatican endorses The Blues Brothers
|
Ricky Gervais says new project packed with laughs
|
Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart marry: reports
|
Alice stays No. 1 on DVD sales chart
|
New Glee album overshadows Twilight, Aguilera
|
Grease gets slick with sing-a-long version
|
Author Ellis takes Less Than Zero past the '80s
|
EU hits Iran with tougher sanctions over nuclear row
German train collision injures 16
Israel says easing Gaza land blockade
|
Assassination fears among Kandahar's leaders
BP boss to face US Congress over oil spill
Families of 3 jailed Americans criticize Iran
Europe eyes quick move on stress tests
|
Afghan mineral wealth may be greater: $3 trillion
World Cup party on pause as Mandela family mourns
Witness: Refugees of Kyrgyz violence afraid to return home
|
Colombia coal blast kills 16 miners
|
Nelson Mandela attends funeral of great-grandchild
|
Mexico to hire PR firms to scrub drug war image
|
EU imposes tougher sanctions on Iran oil and gas
|
ABC's "The Bachelor Pad" Unveils Cast List
US returns stolen Angkorian sculptures to Cambodia
Airline Reaches Temporary Agreement With Pilots
Kate Gosselin Denies "The Bachelorette"-Style Reality Show
Former Alabama Professor Indicted In 80s Shooting
Washington Plays Down Cancelled Counter-Terrorism Meet With Turkey
Judge Threatens Gag Order in Blagojevich Trial
Anchor Babies Not Welcome In Arizona
Japan's ruling party unveils manifesto
Hanson, Drake Free Concert Cut Short After Crowd Melee
US envoy vows solidarity with S.Korea over warship
Family Of 4 Found Dead In Boston Suburb; Father Missing
Fire Ravages Arizona Forest
Cancer-hit conductor Ozawa cancels more concerts
Landslides kill scores in Bangladesh and Myanmar
Toshiba unveils monster 128 GB chip for smart phones
Banksy artwork swiped from Aussie knicker mogul
Asian stocks mixed amid weak signals from US, Spain
Aussie sisters set TV-viewing record
Australia teen charged over India student's murder
China says G-20 wrong place to discuss yuan issue
AT&T nears FCC OK for Verizon spectrum buy: report
|
China Agricultural Bank IPO begins; lists July 15
AOL to sell social network site Bebo
|
After World Cup, Shakira to tackle Bollywood
In Lebanon, 'aspirin' helps more than headaches
Japan distributor to show 'The Cove' free online
Corrected: Harry Potter actors star at new U.S. theme park
|
A Minute With: Jada Pinkett Smith as TV's Hawthorne
|
Snoop Dogg not welcome in Dutch city of Hague
|
Slumdog's Boyle to direct 2012 Olympic ceremony
|
Controversial Former MP Blames Harper For Complicated Pregnancy Of Wife Who Faces Breach Of Ethics Probe
Film on Hitler sparks outrage among Jews in India
|
Rogers Telecommunications Consolidation Of Couples Phone Bills Exposes Extramarital Affairs
Summit Entertainment Sues Clothing Brand BB Dakota To Stop Sales Of "Bella Swan" Jacket
Feel-good film follows Afghan cricketing triumph
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights