US losing patience with Pakistan, says Panetta

[Moazam Khan]

KABUL: Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said on Thursday the United States was reaching the limits of its patience with Pakistan because of the safe havens the country offered to insurgents in neighbouring Afghanistan.
It was some of the strongest language used by a US official to describe the strained ties between Washington and Islamabad.
Panetta was speaking in the Afghan capital, where he arrived for talks with military leaders amid rising violence in the war against the Taliban and a spate of deadly incidents, including a NATO air strike said to have killed 18 villagers.
“It is difficult to achieve peace in Afghanistan as long as there is safe haven for terrorists in Pakistan,” Panetta, who arrived in Kabul a day after a deadly insurgent bombing, told reporters.
“It is very important for Pakistan to take steps. It is an increasing concern, the issue of safe haven, and we are reaching the limits of our patience.”
Pakistan’s cooperation is considered critical to US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan before most foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014.

 

[Zarvan]

KABUL, Afghanistan – Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is keeping the pressure on Pakistan and expressed continued frustration with the country's failure to root out the terrorist Haqqani network.
"We are reaching the limits of our patience here," Panetta said during a joint press conference the Afghan defense minister.
A senior U.S. official acknowledged Thursday that the recent increase in drone strikes on insurgents in Pakistan is due in part to frustration with Islamabad. Despite pressure from U.S. commanders, Pakistan remains reluctant to go after insurgents, particularly the Haqqani network, which was likely responsible for recent deadly attacks on U.S. forces.
Panetta added that Pakistan must take action and that there is "an increasing concern that this safe haven exists," Panetta said. "It is very important that Pakistan take steps to deal with this threat."
Panetta's stop in Kabul caps two days of blunt commentary on Pakistan.
In his fourth trip to the war zone, Panetta also acknowledged the increase in attacks in Afghanistan and that the insurgents appear to be much more organized. But he insisted that the overall level of violence was down, and that commanders had expected the uptick.
Panetta said he wants to get an assessment of the situation from the top U.S. commander, Marine Gen. John Allen, and see how confident he is about NATO's ability to confront the threats both from the Taliban and the Haqqani network, which often operates from safe havens in Pakistan.
"I think it's important to make sure we are aware of the kind of attacks they're going to engage in ... as we go through the rest of the summer," Panetta told reporters traveling with him during a stop in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday.
Panetta arrives just a day after three suicide attackers blew themselves up in a marketplace in southern Afghanistan, killing 22 people and wounding at least 50 others. In the east, meanwhile, Afghan officials and residents said a predawn NATO airstrike targeting militants killed 18 civilians celebrating a wedding, including women and children. A NATO forces spokesman said the coalition had no reports of civilians being killed in a raid.
Allen has to withdraw 23,000 American troops by the end of September, leaving about 68,000 U.S. military personnel in the country. Officials have said the bulk of the 23,000 probably will not come out until shortly before the deadline.
As those troops leave, Allen has said that Afghan forces will be used to fill in the gaps in the eastern and southwestern parts of the country. They will be buttressed by U.S. advisory teams that will work with the Afghan units.
Once the 23,000 U.S. troops depart, Allen is expected to review how the fighting season is going and then will begin to put together an analysis for President Barack Obama on how troop withdrawals will proceed next year.
Panetta also was scheduled to meet with U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak.
Fox News' Justin Fishel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Read more: Panetta visits Afghanistan amid violence, expresses frustration with Pakistan | Fox News

 

[harpoon]

KABUL: Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Thursday that the United States was running out of patience with Pakistan over safe havens of insurgents who attack US troops across the border in Afghanistan.

Panetta arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday to take stock of progress in the war and discuss plans for the troop draw down, even as violence spiked in the south.

Panetta spoke after talks with Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak on the latest leg of an Asian tour that has taken him to Pakistan’s arch-rival India, but not Islamabad in a sign of how dire US-Pakistan relations are.

He singled out the Haqqani network, a Taliban and al Qaeda-linked faction believed to be based in Pakistan’s lawless tribal district of North Waziristan.

“It’s an increasing concern that Haqqani safe havens still exist on the other side of the border. Pakistan has to take action from allowing terrorists in their country to attack our forces on the other side of the border,” he said.

“We are reaching the limits of our patience here,” he added.

Afghan and US officials have blamed the Haqqani network for some of the deadliest attacks of the 10-year war, including a brazen 18-hour assault on Kabul in April — the biggest to hit the Afghan capital in a decade.

Panetta said that in talks with Pakistan, the United States had made “very clear, time and time again,” the need to crack down on Haqqani militants.

Pakistan has resisted US pressure to launch a major offensive against the network in North Waziristan, arguing that it is too overstretched in the fight against local Taliban to take on an enemy that poses no threat to Pakistan.

Independent analysts have suggested that Pakistan is not capable of defeating the Haqqanis, a well organised and disciplined force that can command thousands of fighters.

Speaking to troops gathered at the airport in Kabul, Panetta kept up the drumbeat on Pakistan that began two days earlier during his visit to India. Panetta told the troops that ”we have every responsibility to defend ourselves and we are going to make very clear that we are prepared to take them on and we’ve got to put pressure on Pakistan to take them on as well.”

A senior US official acknowledged Thursday that the recent increase in drone strikes on insurgents in Pakistan is due in part to frustration with Islamabad.

Despite pressure from US commanders, Pakistan remains reluctant to go after insurgents, particularly the Haqqani network, which was likely responsible for recent deadly attacks on US forces.

Panetta’s explicit description of frustration, while visiting neighboring India, appeared to signal a somewhat tougher stance and a suggestion that the US is becoming even more willing and quick to strike terrorist targets inside Pakistan.

The defense secretary also joked with troops at the Kabul airport about the US strike that killed an al-Qaeda leader Monday, saying, ”the worst job you can get these days is to be a deputy leader in al-Qaeda, or for that matter a leader.”

Insurgents in Afghanistan more organised

Making his fourth trip to the war zone, Panetta acknowledged the increase in attacks and that the insurgents appear to be much more organized.

But he insisted that the overall level of violence was down, and that commanders had expected the uptick.

Panetta said he wants to get an assessment of the situation from the top US commander, Marine Gen. John Allen, and see how confident he is about Nato’s ability to confront the threats both from the Taliban and the Haqqani network, which often operates from safe havens in Pakistan.

”I think it’s important to make sure we are aware of the kind of attacks they’re going to engage in … as we go through the rest of the summer,” Panetta told reporters traveling with him during a stop in New Delhi, India, on Wednesday.

US reaching ‘limits of patience’ with Pakistan: Panetta | DAWN.COM

 

[faizahmad]

The limits are always stretchable.

 

[Imran Khan]

done mr leon ? you bashed pakistan in india and afghanistan now move your face from region we are waiting for monsoon if you stay here no rain i am sure .manhoos amreekiyo .

 

[airmarshal]

We are also losing patience with you a$$hole. We have had enough of these double games. You are an occupier and you have plans to keep your armies here for a long time. This is not fighting 'terror'. Its just an excuse. But you want Pakistan to keep your armies supplied and do your dirty war which the people of Pakistan dont want to have anything to do with.

So go to hell.

 

[Major Sam]

Goto Mars , bec iam DAMN sure even Hell with not accept you

 

[core]

I wnt to knw one thing is US bound to help Pakistan like treaty or somethng......y r they giving there tax money in aid(in billion) to pakistan.............when each side doesnt wnt ...whats the hold up......

 

[somebozo]

You should think twice before acting once Mr Leon Panetta....

I wnt to knw one thing is US bound to help Pakistan like treaty or somethng......y r they giving there tax money in aid(in billion) to pakistan.............when each side doesnt wnt ...whats the hold up......

What is the bother..Mr Indian...mind your own business while we mind our own!

 

[Leviza]

I wnt to knw one thing is US bound to help Pakistan like treaty or somethng......y r they giving there tax money in aid(in billion) to pakistan.............when each side doesnt wnt ...whats the hold up......

First of all its non of Indian issue
Secondly they are not giving anything in aid, its the service charges they are using Pakistan Land and other logistics ..

 

[BATMAN]

Only, Zardari or ANP can be blamed for US grievances.

 

[Mercenary]

What matters is what actions will US undertake once patience is totally run out

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

The US should 'lose patience' with its own troops first then, given that terrorists continue to maintain sanctuaries in Eastern Afghanistan and carry out attacks on Pakistani troops and civilians from there:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/pakistans-war/185070-another-attack-salala-checkpost-but-militants.html

The US should also 'lose patience' with its own continued massacres of innocent civilians:

Karzai condemns NATO air strike on civilians – The Express Tribune

Bunch of hypocrites and criminals.

 

[Jango]

They should just take some ecstasy and soothe their nerves.

Somebody ask them why don't they do anything in Kunar? Why don't they secure their borders first then come and talk to us?

 

[F.O.X]

My Response to Mr Penta .

Hahahahahahahahah


Go Get A Life.