US asks Pakistan to expand military campaign against Taliban

The Obama administration is stepping up pressure on Pakistan to expand and reorient its fight against Taliban and Al Qaeda and wants its army to pursue the militants into north Waziristan. Washington has also warned that failure to do so would undercut new strategy and troop increase for Afghanistan that President Obama is preparing to approve, The New York Times reported quoting US officials.

This message was delivered by General (retired) James Jones, the National Security Advisor; who was sent to Islamabad by the US President, Barack Obama, and delivered a letter on his behalf to the Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari. "His message, officials said, was that the new American strategy would work only if Pakistan broadened its fight beyond the militants attacking its cities and security forces and went after the groups that use havens in Pakistan for plotting and carrying out attacks against American troops in Afghanistan, as well as support networks for Al Qaeda," the  paper said.

Times said Jones while praising the Pakistani operation in South Waziristan had urged officials to combat extremists who fled to North Waziristan.