News
Monday, October 04, 2010
Pakistan to follow own timeline for anti-terror actions* Haqqani says Islamabad will not allow foreign troops on its soil
* CIA, ISI worked closely to thwart terrorist attack in Europe
* Islamabad cannot do everything that Americans think
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani on Sunday said the two allies are working closely to thwart terrorist attacks anywhere in the world, but made it clear that his country would not allow any foreign troops on its soil and would follow its own timeline for anti-terror actions on its side of the Afghan border.
“Pakistan will go after all terrorist groups that are (operating) on its soil. We’ve done it in the last two and a half years and the few groups that are remaining we will target them with American help, but it will be technical help, it will not be personnel on ground,” he told CNN’s State of the Union programme.
Islamabad and NATO will jointly investigate this week’s missile attack on a Pakistani post, which killed three soldiers, he said.
Haqqani was hopeful that a vital Pakistani supply route for Afghanistan-based NATO forces – closed temporarily due to security fears and not as a political retaliation – would be re-opened soon.
The envoy also reported close cooperative efforts by Pakistani and American intelligence towards thwarting a Europe-centric terrorist plot, reported in the media this week.
“This is an example as how American and Pakistani cooperation works. The US intelligence agencies had picked up information. They picked up chatter, which was shared with the Pakistani side and the Pakistani side is following leads. And that will make Europe and the US safer,” Haqqani said, adding it would not be possible for him to go into further details.
The CIA, he said, shared intelligence with the Inter-Services Intelligence on the reported plotting for attacks in Europe.
“Even though the ISI is maligned a lot in the media, the fact is that it is one of the closest allies and partners of the US – in this particular incident, the US has been very pleased with Pakistani cooperation. The American officials have told us that the quality of cooperation they have received from the ISI is really hundred percent.”
Haqqani reminded the critics of his country’s anti-terror efforts that the Pakistani military had fought “very effectively” in Swat and South Waziristan in the last two and a half years.
“Pakistan is an American ally. America depends on Pakistan. We can’t and do not do everything that the Americans think we should do because sometimes we don’t have the capacity sometimes we don’t have the means.” app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk