Washington : A new White House report dialed back harsh criticism of Pakistan for failing to take on al Qaeda and other anti-Western militants, a shift signaling United States doubts that public pressure on Islamabad is working, Wall Street Journal reported.In a report sent to Congress on Tuesday,
President Barack Obama's National Security Council sought to ease months of tension with Pakistan fueled in part by its previous scolding of Islamabad for refusingto send forces into North Waziristan tribal area.While US officials say success in Afghanistan hinges on Pakistan's willingness to root out militants in sanctuaries along the border, the new report on US progress in the region makes no explicit call for Pakistan to send ground forces into North Waziristan.The previous report, issued in September, accused Pakistan of avoiding "military engagements that would put it in direct conflict with Afghan Taliban or al Qaeda forces in North Waziristan," and said "this is as much a political choice as it is a reflection of an under-resourced military prioritizing its targets."Such concerns are now being delivered behind closed doors, officials say. New report, coming three months before the US is to begin withdrawing some of its 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, depicted a wareffort whose outcome remains cloudy. It talks of battlefield gains, but also notes they are “fragile. Afghan government accountability is still weak, despite years of Western efforts to improve it. Afghan security forces are getting better,but still have a way to go before they can take on the Taliban without the backing of allied troops.”The report said a spate of Taliban attacks on civilian targets this year could signal that the insurgents, though still potent, are somewhat weakened and less capable of direct assaults on coalition military forces. "Taliban's greater use of murder and intimidation tactics reflects an insurgency under pressure," assessment says, referring to the attacks on civilian "soft" targets. "That said, there are also indications that Taliban remains confident of its strategy and resources, and heavy fighting is expected to resume this spring," it adds.Coalition commanders talk up their efforts, but have so far been reluctant to say the allies are winning. However, they do say they are on track to meet a White House-mandated troop drawdown, withoutspecifying how fast the pullout will take place.US officials and field commanders say intensity of spring fighting season will offer the clearest indication to date of whether the Obama administration's 2009 decision to send 30,000 additional troops into Afghanistan is working.
