WASHINGTON – Pakistan’s military is holding back counter-terrorismcooperation with the United States while continuing to go easy on militantgroups based in the country, US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coatssaid Tuesday.

Coats told a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee that despiteWashington´s requests to do more, the Pakistan military is only trying toappear tougher against the Taliban and Haqqani militants.

“Pakistan-based militant groups continue to take advantage of their safehaven to conduct attacks in India, in Afghanistan, and including USinterests therein,” Coats said.

“Ongoing Pakistani military operations against the Taliban and associatedgroups probably reflect the desire to appear more proactive and responsiveto our requests for more actions against these groups.”

However, actions are taken thus far “do not reflect a significantescalation of pressure against these groups and are unlikely to have alasting effect.”

Coats said that the US Treasury Department had announced terrordesignations in recent weeks on eight members of the Taliban, the HaqqaniGroup and other groups, aiming to boost pressure on the militants’abilities to operate.

However US intelligence agents believe that Pakistan “will maintain ties tothese militants while restricting counter-terrorism cooperation with theUnited States,” he said. – Agencies