'Dismantling Taliban, Al-Qaeda sanctuaries in Pak crucial to US Af-Pak mission' - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The United States has said peace and stability cannot be achieved in Afghanistan unless terror safe havens in Pakistan are not dismantled. The Obama administration is pressurizing Islamabad to move against Taliban and Al-Qaeda sanctuaries on its soil. US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke has said that the most important aspect of the new approach is to dismantle the terror sanctuary in Pakistan. "I have to say that corruption is critical to our success, but it's not the governing issue in this war. To me the most important issue for our success is dealing with the sanctuary in Pakistan," The News quoted Holbrooke, as saying. Although Pakistan is central to the US strategy for the Af-Pak region, Washington has had a tough time in dealing with a skittish military and political establishment in Islamabad. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has told the media that the United States would not pursue Taliban leaders inside Pakistan despite a report that the CIA has been authorized to expand its drone attacks on Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders. "Pakistan is a sovereign government. We are in a partnership with them. I think at this point it's up to the Pakistani military to deal with this problem," he said.