Terror safe havens in Pakistan greatest threat to success in Afghanistan: Pentagon report

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Washington, Oct 29(ANI): The ability of insurgents to hide across the border in Pakistan is the greatest threat to success in Afghanistan, according to the latest Pentagon evaluation of the war.

The Pentagon’s “Report on Progress Towards Security and Stability in Afghanistan,” a congressionally mandated evaluation of the war’s progress that is provided twice a year, was released this week.

“The insurgency’s safe havens in Pakistan, as well as the limited capacity of the Afghan government, remain the biggest risks to the process of turning security gains into a durable, stable Afghanistan,” the report said.

The report points directly at Pakistani authorities for aiding the strength of insurgents on its side of the Afghan border, the CNN reports.

“Pakistan’s selective counterinsurgency operations, passive acceptance-and in some case, provision-of insurgent safe havens, and unwillingness to interdict material such as IED components, continue to undermine security in Afghanistan and threaten ISAF’s (International Security Assistance Force) campaign,” the report said.

The report comes at a time when American support for the decade-long war in Afghanistan is at an all-time low.

According to a CNN/ORC International Poll released Friday, only 34 per cent of the public say they support the war in Afghanistan, one point less than the previous low of 35 per cent, with 63 per cent opposed to the conflict.

The report looks back over the six-month period ending September 30 and was delivered to Congress on Thursday afternoon.

The report noted that the Pakistan-based Haqqani network carried out major attacks in Afghanistan.

“Addressing insurgents emanating from Pakistan is critical to the success of ISAF’s campaign and Afghanistan’s future,” the report said. “ISAF will continue to assist Pakistan in denying Taliban and Haqqani safe haven from which they can plan and conduct attacks.” (ANI)