Pentagon spokesperson ducks question on exerting pressure on Pakistan over Taliban issue

The United States Department of Defence Spokesperson, John Kirby, ducked a question on bringing Pakistan to justice on supporting the Taliban and other terrorist organizations in bordering Afghanistan. Kirby was addressing a press conference when the Pentagon spokesperson was asked on 'pressuring Pakistan to attain a durable peace in Afghanistan'.

In a very diplomatic response, Kirby said, "We continue to have conversations with Pakistani leadership about the safe havens that exist along that border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we're mindful that those safe havens are only providing a source of more insecurity, more instability inside Afghanistan. And we're not bashful about having that discussion with Pakistani leaders."

Kirby also added that Islamabad is also a victim of terrorist organizations in the region. He also said, "We're also mindful that Pakistan and the Pakistani people also are fall victim to terrorist activities that emanate from that same region. So, we all have a shared sense of the importance of closing down those safe havens and not allowing them to be used by the Taliban or other terrorist networks to sow discord. And again, we're having that conversation with the Pakistanis all the time."

US withdrawal from Afghanistan

After invading Afghanistan in the early years of the conflict, the United States and its NATO allies stayed on for many years, partially in the hopes of building a Kabul-based government and military capable of resisting the Taliban once Western forces retreated. US President Joe Biden has stated that he will uphold former President Donald Trump's disengagement agreement with the Taliban. However, Biden has made it plain that he is also committed to withdrawing US forces from their longest conflict.

Long history of Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism

Meanwhile, Pakistan has a long history of state-sponsored terrorism. Its top civil and military leadership has been constantly supporting Islamist terrorists in the region. In fact, former Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden who was declared enemy no.1 to the United States was found hiding in Abbottabad, Pakistan, less than a kilometer away from the Pakistan Military Academy. Moreover, it has been supporting the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir ever since 1947.