US Senator slams Pakistan for allowing terrorist safe havens

Slamming Pakistan for harbouring the Haqqani militants and the Afghan Taliban, a senior US lawmaker today said action by Islamabad was key to improve the Afghan situation but the country was doing nothing to abate the safe havens.

Senator Diana Feinstein, who is Chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told the Fox News in an interview that the "safe harbour" in Pakistan is a big problem.

"They (the Taliban) have a safe harbor in Pakistan and the Pakistanis are doing nothing to abate that safe harbor," said Feinstein, who was recently in Afghanistan.

As chairperson of the key committee, Feinstein has access to top intelligence of the country with regard to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"So, it's a big problem and I think that the key to Afghanistan is really action by Pakistan with respect to the
Haqqani, with respect to the Taliban, and a new solidarity hopefully between our two countries to eliminate safe havens for terrorist," she said.

Feinstein, however, expressed delight at the positive changes she witnessed in Afghanistan, especially, on girls'
education front.

"I'll tell you, there were two things that came through as very positive from our visit. The first was, according to General Allen (Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan), 362,000 mark of trained Afghan military will be met. He said they are doing very well.

"They are in the lead in many missions and they are carrying it out with alacrity and with talent. So, that's good," she said.