US tells Pak to take out terror groups radicalising people to strike against west

WASHINGTON - The United States wants Pakistan to take on the extremist organisations which radicalise disgruntled Pakistani civilians living in foreign countries and use them for terror activities targeted at the west, particularly America and Europe.

According to sources, this would be the message that the two senior security aides of President Barack Obama, National Security Adviser General James Jones and Central Investigation Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta, would be giving to the Pakistani leadership during their visit.

General Jones and Panetta arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday (May 18), and are likely to meet both the civilian and military leadership during their visit.

While certain sections of the media reported that both the top US officials visit is linked with the May 1 failed Times Square bombing plot, but observers believe that the high-profile visit has more to do than what it seems.

“This (Times Square probe) is not such a sophisticated or complicated case that the White House should send its national security adviser and the CIA chief all the way to Islamabad. They are there to look at the bigger picture and to discuss with Pakistani officials the greater context of this issue,” The Dawn quoted sources, privy to the development, as saying.

The basic concept of the message that General Jones and Panetta are believed to have brought with them is the same as that of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s, sources added.

In a recent television interview, Clinton had warned that Pakistan would have to face “very severe consequences” if a successful terror attack on the US is traced back to Pakistan. (ANI)