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Afghanistan urges Pakistan sanctions

Other News Materials 27 August 2010 09:52 (UTC +04:00)
A senior Afghan official urges the United States sanction neighboring Pakistan over what he described as Islamabad's support for terrorism, Press TV reported.
Afghanistan urges Pakistan sanctions

A senior Afghan official urges the United States sanction neighboring Pakistan over what he described as Islamabad's support for terrorism, Press TV reported.

In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, Afghanistan's National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta said that the central issue in the war against terrorists is their ability to take refuge in Pakistan and enjoy support as well as training from Pakistani military and intelligence agencies.

Spanta said the United States needs to redirect its drone war to target Afghan Taliban commanders living in Pakistan.

He also called for sanctions against Pakistan and the denial of visas to Pakistani generals and others involved in supporting terrorist activities.

Writing in Monday's edition of the Washington Post, Spanta called on Washington to re-evaluate its friendship with Pakistan and termed US support of the country as a "strategic mistake."

"While we are losing dozens of men and women to terrorist attacks every day, the terrorists' main mentor continues to receive billions of dollars in aid and assistance. How is this fundamental contradiction justified?" the prominent Afghan official wrote.

The remarks come amid reports that the Afghan President Hamid Karzai feels deeply frustrated with the US administration's Pakistan policy.

"He accuses Pakistan of interfering in Afghanistan, but then the West calls Pakistan an important strategic partner. He thinks Pakistan is training forces to send to Afghanistan to kill our soldiers," an unnamed Afghan official said. "It really irritates him."

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