Tangible evidence of Pak's commitment on checking terror: US

PAK-MUMBAI

Lalit K Jha
Washington, May 22 (PTI) The US has said there is
tangible evidence of Pakistan's commitment to clamping down on
extremists operating within its borders, citing the arrest of
top Taliban commander Mullah Baradar and the cooperation it
extended after the botched Times Square bombing plot.
"We have seen tangible evidence of Pakistan's
commitment to clamping down on extremist networks operating
within its borders.
As you know, several top Afghan Taliban leaders -
including Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar - have been apprehended,
and we are grateful to the Pakistani authorities for this,"
said Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator
for Counterterrorism, in the State Department.
"Immediately after the Times Square incident, we
also began working closely with the Government of Pakistan on
the investigation and they've been cooperative in assisting
our efforts and we will continue to work with Islamabad on
this important prosecution," Benjamin said in his speech at
the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
Identifying Pakistan as a front-line partner in
fighting extremists, Benjamin said the US provides a spectrum
of assistance to Pakistani counterterrorism campaigns which
range from police training to anti-money laundering efforts.
Undoubtedly the hundreds of millions of dollars
directed to Pakistani counterterrorism efforts have saved
American lives and we shouldn't forget that Pakistan has put
out-of-business more al-Qa'ida operatives than any other
country, he said.
"Over the past year, the US government has seen very
encouraging signs that Pakistan not only recognises the
severity of the threat from violent extremists, but is
actively working to counter and constrain it.
Pakistani military operations in Swat and
Waziristan have eliminated militant strongholds and damaged
the operational abilities of extremist groups.
Moreover, we are seeing increasing cross-border
cooperation with Afghanistan and ISAF forces, which is
instrumental in the reduction of key militant safe havens.
And in the wake of the operation in Swat, we have
seen public opinion turn more decisively against the
militants," Benjamin said. PTI LKJ
BDS


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