WASHINGTON : The US is keeping “all options” on the table to deal withPakistan if it does not take decisive action against the Taliban and theHaqqani network and dismantle their safe havens, the White House warnedtoday.

The warning came after the US suspended about $2 billion in security aid toPakistan for failing to clamp down on terror groups.

“The US does have a range of tools that we’re looking at beyond just thesecurity assistance issue to deal with Pakistan and to try to convince itto crack down on the Taliban and Haqqani network,” a senior Trumpadministration official told reporters.

“Certainly no one should doubt the US resolve to address this threat andall options I would say will be on the table,” said the official oncondition of anonymity.

While some policy makers have been asking the White House to revoke thenon-NATO ally status of Pakistan and put pressure on the country throughmultilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund and theUnited Nations,

Pentagon generals have indicated unilateral actions.

However, the official refrained from divulging any of the options that theadministration is considering against Pakistan.

“I’m not able to comment on specific steps at this time. But nobody shoulddoubt our resolve in trying to address these threats. We’re looking at alloptions. We hope that we can cooperate with Pakistan. But we do haveoptions that we’re considering,” the official said.

The US wants action against the existing safe havens of the Taliban and theHaqqani network and demolish its ability to carry out strikes across theborder in Afghanistan, the Official said and expressed hope that Pakistanwould take actions that the US was seeking. “That will allow therelationship to return to a more positive trajectory,” the official said.

Trump’s new policy, the official said, is driven by his desire to have asuccessful strategy in Afghanistan.

“We firmly believes that for the future of the region, Pakistan needs tocrack down on these terrorist elements. Unless they take a comprehensiveapproach to the terrorism problem it is going to threaten US interests andeverybody’s interests including Pakistan’s,” the official said.

Responding to a question, the official said US has “a number of tools inits toolkit” and can “take unilateral” steps.

But at this time, the US prefers to cooperate with Pakistan and is hopefulabout it, the official said.

“And we want to indicate Pakistan our seriousness about the issue ofdealing with safe havens,” the official said.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the US would restore thesuspended security assistance to Pakistan if it takes action againstterrorist groups.

“We would restore the aid if we see decisive movements against theterrorists, who are as much of a threat against Pakistan as they areagainst us,” Mattis told reporters.

“The specific individual things we’re doing are best handled in private, toensure that we can be most productive. And that’s what we’re working now,”he said.

“There’s a campaign plan now that starts regionally. So we started thinkingabout India and Pakistan and Afghanistan. We reinforced some of our forcesthere, because we found some forces didn’t have the American advisers theyneeded, and the ones with advisers seemed to always win. The ones withoutthem did not fare so well,” he said.