Pakistan's president promised to work with the United States to
"eradicate" the militant Haqqani network, a pledge made during a meeting
with visiting American congressmen, according to one of the lawmakers.
But
the head of the Homeland Security delegation, Michael McCaul,
downplayed the significance of the remarks, saying it was unclear
whether President Asif Ali Zardari had the power to make good on his
pledge, given the influence of the military in Pakistan.
According
to McCaul, Zardari also appeared to brush off threats that U.S. aid
spending to Pakistan could be significantly cut if Islamabad did not do
more to squeeze insurgents like the Haqqanis, who are based in northwest
Pakistan but attack U.S. and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.
"I
think he thinks it's a given that we are going to continue the aid, but I
tried to tell him that it's in jeopardy," McCaul, a Republican
congressman from Texas, said of Zardari. "He said, 'I appreciate your
assistance, but it's trade more than aid that I need.'"
McCaul and
the visiting lawmakers met with Zardari in the Pakistani port city of
Karachi on Tuesday, and revealed details of his conversation later the
same day.
Relations between the United States and Pakistan have
plummeted over the last year following the shooting deaths of two
Pakistanis by a CIA contractor and the American unilateral raid that
killed Osama bin Laden in May. Persistent allegations that Pakistani
security forces are aiding or tolerating Afghan insurgents have led many
U.S. lawmakers to call for cuts in the billions of dollars in aid given
to Pakistan.
The Haqqani network is an al-Qaida linked militant
group with roots in eastern Afghanistan that has long been based in the
Pakistani border region of North Waziristan. U.S. and NATO officials say
it is currently the most deadly foe in Afghanistan.
The problem
is especially acute because Washington is committed to withdrawing most
of its combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Seeing the
country fall back into the hands of the Taliban or descend into bloody
civil war would be a crushing failure for Washington.
The U.S. has been applying steady pressure on Pakistan to tackle the Haqqanis, but with little effect.
"The
president, on the record, said 'I am going to work with you to
eradicate them,'" McCaul said. He further quoted Zardari as saying: "I
know these people very well, they are snakes and I'm going to go after
all of them."
McCaul said he welcomed the president's statement,
but "the real question is how much does this president control the
military" and the country's spy service.
Zardari heads a
democratically elected civilian government, but the military, which has
ruled Pakistan for much of its existence, does not follow his orders
when it comes to Afghan policy and other defense issues. McCaul said the
American delegation asked to meet the Pakistani army and spy chiefs,
but this was not possible.
The Pakistani military views
neighboring India — and not Islamist militants at home — as the
country's biggest threat and sees Afghanistan through that lens.
Consequently, Islamabad is widely believed to be reluctant to move
against the Haqqanis because it sees them as potential allies against
Indian influence in Afghanistan when America withdraws.
In talks
late last month with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and
other American officials, Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani
recognized the need to "squeeze the Haqqanis," a senior U.S. official
said at the time, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the
sensitivity of the issue. Greater intelligence sharing, cutting
financing networks and stopping fighters from crossing the border were
discussed, he said. AP
