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US urges patience as Pakistan evolves anti-terror plan: Hadley

* National security adviser says negotiations should result in cessation of attacks

WASHINGTON: Acknowledging the enormity of the challenge facing Pakistan in curbing terrorism along its rugged border with Afghanistan, United States National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley has urged patience with Pakistan, as the new government develops a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy.

Hadley praised the commitment expressed by the new democratic leadership of Pakistan in confronting terrorism and accepting it as a threat. He said that containing terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan was important for the stability of the region, adding that Washington wanted all anti-terror negotiations in the Tribal Areas to end extremist violence.

“We’ve been heartened recently by statements out of the new Pakistani government, the democratic Pakistani government, that they see that terror in the region — in Pakistan is a threat to Pakistan, first and foremost, and that they have a responsibility to deal with itt. That is in Pakistan’s own interest,” he said while replying to a question at a briefing on President George W Bush’s upcoming visit to Europe. He said that it was something that the elected leaders in Pakistan “understand is very important for the future of their own people and the stability of their own country.”

He also acknowledged that the Pakistanis had “enormous challenges in terms of what’s going on in the Tribal Areas. They are looking at a mixture of pressure and activities and also negotiations...there have been a lot of discussions, public discussions, about the character of those negotiations”.

Cessation: Hadley said, “We think it’s very important that they result in not only a cessation of attacks in Pakistan, but also a cessation of any attacks across the border into Afghanistan.” Hadley said the US had been clear about the importance of the outcome of such negotiations. “But I think we have to give them some time to try and sort their way through and develop a strategy for what is a very difficult problem,” he added. app

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