Stop public rhetoric against drone attacks: American Senator to Pak

Stop public rhetoric against drone attacks: American Senator to Pak

A powerful American Senator has slammed Pakistan for not taking full-fledged action against terrorists operating in its territory and instead indulging in public rhetoric against drone attacks that are targeted against top militants leaders.

"They have gone after some terrorist targets inside Pakistan, but the ones they've gone after are the ones that threaten the Pakistan government.

They haven't gone after the Haqqanis; they haven't gone after the 'Quetta shura'.

Those folks are attacking across the border.

They've got some responsibility to go after them, and they haven't carried out that responsibility," Senator Karl Levin, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said.

Levin, who was responding to questions after delivering his remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations a Washington-based think tank, had met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, early this week and passed on similar message.


"I mean, we hit some Pakistani troops by mistake, apparently, the other day, and there's a strong blow-back on that, which is understandable.

But it's when a mistake is not made, when a target is hit accurately that I've got problems with the public attack which then creates that huge animosity against us when it is, number one, done with at least the acquiescence of the Pakistan government; and number two, when they are failing to go after those targets," the Senator said.

"In Pakistan, which is inextricably linked to Afghanistan, officials have taken some steps to rein in extremist groups that threaten stability in Pakistan, but they have so far failed to take the steps needed to address major threats to Afghanistan from within Pakistan," he said.

"Whether you agree with what we're doing or not, we are there. People who are attacking us are coming across the border, many instances, not exclusively, from Pakista