In a stern message to Pakistan, the United States has asked it to shed its policy of "using insurgents", like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as a strategic tool and warned that if it cannot deliver against terrorists, the US may be impelled to use "any means" at its disposal.
The message, conveyed in a letter from US president Barack Obama to Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, also includes an offer by him to try to "reduce tensions" between India and Pakistan, media reports said.
The two-page letter, hand-delivered by national security adviser general (retd) James Jones when he visited Islamabad early this month, offers Pakistan an enhancement of the strategic partnership, besides additional military and economic aid, if Pakistan acts as wished by the US.
In his letter, Obama has also warned Pakistan that its use of insurgent groups for policy goals "cannot continue" and called for closer collaboration against all extremist groups. He named five such groups — the al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the Haqqani network, the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Tehrik-e-Taliban.
"Using vague diplomatic language, he said that ambiguity in Pakistan's relationship with any of them could no longer be ignored," The Washington Post reported.
Jones did some straight-talking with the top Pakistani leadership, the daily said. "If Pakistan cannot deliver, he warned, the US may be impelled to use any means at its
disposal to rout insurgents based along Pakistan's western and southern borders with Afghanistan."
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