WASHINGTONA top-ranking U.S. commander in Afghanistan said there have been incidents of "local collaboration" between units of Pakistan's Frontier Corps, a government security force, and insurgent groups, which have allowed militants in Pakistan to fire shells at U.S. and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.
Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti said Thursday that safe havens enjoyed by militants in Pakistan remain the primary obstacle to putting down the insurgency in Afghanistan, and there remains little likelihood that the Pakistan military will move against the primary militant refuge in North Waziristan.
Gen. Scaparrotti's remarks are the latest in a succession of U.S. complaints about ties between Pakistan and militant groups. In recent months, senior Obama administration officials have charged that Pakistani agencies, especially its intelligence service, maintain close ties to extremists to serve the country's strategic goals, including its rivalry with neighboring India.
Pakistani officials didn't immediately return a call seeking comment on Gen. Scaparotti's remarks. In the past, Pakistan has strongly denied that its military forces provide any support to militants fighting U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Some Pakistan Forces Shelter Militants, U.S. Says - WSJ.com
Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti said Thursday that safe havens enjoyed by militants in Pakistan remain the primary obstacle to putting down the insurgency in Afghanistan, and there remains little likelihood that the Pakistan military will move against the primary militant refuge in North Waziristan.
Gen. Scaparrotti's remarks are the latest in a succession of U.S. complaints about ties between Pakistan and militant groups. In recent months, senior Obama administration officials have charged that Pakistani agencies, especially its intelligence service, maintain close ties to extremists to serve the country's strategic goals, including its rivalry with neighboring India.
Pakistani officials didn't immediately return a call seeking comment on Gen. Scaparotti's remarks. In the past, Pakistan has strongly denied that its military forces provide any support to militants fighting U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Some Pakistan Forces Shelter Militants, U.S. Says - WSJ.com
