Thaindian News

Washington, March 2 (IANS) Top US military commanders say Pakistan must take the responsibility for reconciliation with India as the security situation in the region is closely tied to the relationship between the two South Asian neighbours.

“India-Pakistan reconciliation has got to be something that they take responsibility for. So we’re more on a mode of making certain that what we’re doing militarily is never seen as contrary to that trend,” Admiral Eric T. Olson, commander of US special operations command said Tuesday.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Olson said he has been in constant touch with Admiral Willard, commander, Pacific Command, about the relationship between India and Pakistan.

Another top US commander suggested that the security situation in the region was closely tied to Pakistan’s relationship with India.

“Any attempt to look at Pakistan’s security interests must include their relationship, their difficult relationship, with India,” General James N. Mattis, commander of the US central command, told the panel when asked about disconnects where the US has not always seen eye to eye with Pakistan.

He also acknowledged that some of the rebel groups it helped give birth to in the fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan had joined Pakistani terrorist groups active in South Asia.

“Part of the reason these groups exist is together with Pakistan we helped create some of them,” he said in response to Senator Carl Levin’s question about the presence of safe havens for terrorists in Pakistan continuing to pose a security threat to Afghanistan and to the region.

“And over the years, I believe that Pakistan got into position where the very groups that in some cases we helped to give birth to were… became part of the landscape, the Kalashnikov culture, for example,” he said.

He said in many areas, Pakistan has acted against such groups and that has cost it thousands of troops killed and wounded.

“But I think, too, it is the most difficult terrain I have ever operated in my 39 years in uniform. And the Pakistan military’s movement against these folks is continuing,” Mattis said.

Mattis also assured lawmakers that Pakistan does not use any direct US money to strengthen its nuclear programme.

“I’m confident there is no direct funding going to their nuclear programme because of my confidence in tracking the cost we are reimbursing them for now,” he said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

–Ino-Asian News Service
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