Washington:
The US has been incredibly sincere about its issues with Pakistan for a lengthy time about the terrorist secure havens along with the border locations of Afghanistan, the Pentagon has mentioned.
Afghanistan and the US have criticised Pakistan in the previous for permitting Taliban fighters to cross into Pakistan exactly where they are supplied secure havens and also get healthcare therapy.
“We’ve been very honest about our concerns with Pakistan for a long time, about the safe havens that exist on their side of the border along that spine. And those concerns are still valid today,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby mentioned on Thursday at a news conference.
As Afghanistan’s neighbour, Pakistan surely has equities and responsibilities with respect to terrorism in that aspect of the world, Mr Kirby mentioned.
“We continue to have candid conversations with Pakistani leaders about our concerns,” he mentioned in response to a query.
“I think it’s important to continue to remind that the Pakistani people, likewise, have been rendered victim by terrorist threats that emanate from those groups and along that same border,” he mentioned.
While Kabul claims that Islamabad is sending thousands of militants to fight in the war-ravaged nation and giving secure haven for the Taliban, Pakistan alleges that Afghanistan harbours the anti-Pakistani group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan — the Pakistani Taliban — and also the secessionist Balochistan Liberation Army.
Mr Kirby also mentioned that the United States is inside its rights to continue drone strikes inside Afghanistan.
“We believe we have the authorities that we need to continue to protect the nation,” he mentioned.
The Taliban has accused the US of violating the withdrawal agreement by continuing to fly drones more than Afghanistan and warned Americans against undertaking that in the future.
“We have the authorities that we need to continue to defend our interests and the security of the American people there and around the world, and we’re going to do that,” John Kirby mentioned.
“Over-the-horizon operations don’t always have to include unmanned aerial assets, and they don’t. That we use unmanned aerial assets clearly is true, and the Secretary (of Defence) cited one that was just a week or two ago in Syria. But over-the-horizon doesn’t have to mean unmanned. It doesn’t even always have to mean aviation,” he mentioned.
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