US critical on inaction against Haqqani network

The Chairman of the US Senates Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin, Democrat from Michigan, has said that security in Afghanistan is going to remain in jeopardy so long as there continues to be sanctuary in Pakistan for insurgents conducting cross-border attacks against US coalition and Afghan forces, and against the Afghan people.While speaking at a hearing of the committee on worldwide threats to US natioanl security Thursday, in which Director Natioanl Intelligence James Clapper Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency appeared to testify, Senator Levin said Pakistans refusal to go after the safe havens of the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan and of the Afghan Taliban Shura in Quetta, belies Pakistans assertions that it is committed to peace and security in the region.Repeating US accusations against Pakistan on the issue of Haqqani network, he said Pakistans support to the Haqqani Network, which former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen called a Veritable arm of the ISI, Pakistans intelligence agency, is a major cause for US-Pakistan relations reaching a low point. Theyre going to remain so until the Pakistan military ends its ties to these extremists carrying out cross-border attacks.We need to understand the intelligence communitys assessment of Pakistans strategy with respect to these insurgent groups and the reconciliation process as to Pakistans power to determine -- and as to Pakistans power to determine outcomes. The US campaign against the global Jihadist movement had a number of significant successes in the last year, notably operations against Osama bin Laden and Anwar al-Awlaki. These successes struck major blows to Al-Qaidas senior leadership and to one of its most active affiliates, he vowed.Ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain, Republican from Arizona, on the occasion, alleged that Pakistan remains as fragile and combustible as ever, and as our witnesses statements make clear, Pakistans intelligence service continues to support terrorist elements in side Afghanistan that are attacking and killing Americans.Following the opening remarks, Director National Intelligence, James Clapper claimed that Taliban lost some ground in Afghanistan during the past year, but that was mainly in places where the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) were concentrated and Taliban senior leaders continued to enjoy safe haven in Pakistan.The International Security Assistance Forces and the support of Afghanistans neighbours, notably and particularly Pakistan, will remain essential to sustain the gains that have been achieved, he maintained.Joining in the chorus, Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, said that the Taliban leadership remains confident of eventual victory, operating from its Pakistani safe havens. To the West, Iran remains committed to threatening US interest in the region through its support to terrorists and militant groups, including in Iraq and Afghanistan while it remains committed to strengthening its naval, nuclear and missile capabilities.When Senator Levin asked about the recent news reports that the latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) reflects a difference of views between the intelligence community and US military commanders over the security situation in Afghanistan, Jmaes Clapper said that we didnt feel that we gave sufficient weight to Pakistan as -- and its impact as a safe haven and generally felt that the NIE was pessimistic.With respect to the Pakistani government and ISI as kind of a microcosm of the larger government, their existential threat is India. And they view everything with taht focus. Their concern is, of course, sustaining influence and presence in Afghanistan and they will probably continue to do that through proxy militias, he alleged.Upon this Senator McCain asked whether the relationship of United States with Pakistan must be based on the realistic assessment that ISIs relationship with the Haqqani Network and other organizations will probably not change? Yes, sir. I mean there are cases where our interests converge. I -- you know, government to government and that relationship and that factoid is reflected in the relationship with ISI, Clapper answered.Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat from Connecticut, and another member of the Committee, said that the US Senate considers the role of Pakistan in providing ingredients used to make those roadside bombs as a great threat to this nation. In the 2012 Defense Authorization Act, the $700 million in aid to Pakistan is frozen until they demonstrate significant efforts toward implementation of a strategy to counter improvised explosive devices.Ive heard nothing, Ive seen nothing, that indicates they are making that kind of significant effort. Am I misinformed? Could you shed some light on that issue?, Senator Blumenthal questioned the witnesses.Sir, I would tell you that, yes, that IED usage in Afghanistan is up by 15 percent. And most of the precursors and components for those IEDs, while they are assembled in Afghanistan, come through Pakistan, Lt. Gen. Burgess, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency responded.That could not be happening if Pakistan were making significant efforts to stem the flow of ammonium calcium nitrate and fertilizer, the components of those roadside bombs. Am I correct in that? asked Blumenthal.Yes, sir, thats correct. They have two of the major companies that produce this material are located in Pakistan. There is an extensive network from Pakistan into Afghanistan to move these materials, Lt. Gen. Burgess again responded in the affirmative and also agreed that the US was aware of the locations where these plants allegedly existed.The Congressional delegation that I joined as recently as August, met with at least one of the owners of those plants, who indicated that their production is ongoing and the Pakistanis have the wherewithal to stop the flow of those ingredients into Afghanistan, do they not, sir?, Senator Blumenthal continued with his onslaught.Well, thats a good question, sir, is how much the Pakistani government controls anything in the Fata regions which border Afghanistan, but its clear they could probably do more than they have to this point, Lt. Gen. Burgess asserted and said he was not aware of any significant effort on part of Pakistan to control the flow of these IEDs.- Contributed by Awais Saleem, Dunya News correspondent in Washington, DC