WASHINGTON: The Trump administration’s South Asia strategy provides UScommanders in the region complete authority to ‘deal with terrorist safehavens in both Afghanistan and Pakistan’, according to a White Housestatement.
A local English dailylink>reportsthat the United States (US) strategy announced by Trump last yearhighlighted the US conviction to deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan andmake them succumb to the Afghan government.
The Trump administration recently also increased drone strikes at thealleged terrorist safe havens in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas(FATA) with reports emerging that several ‘commanders’ of the dreadedHaqqani network also got killed in those attacks. But this is the firsttime that any US administration has ever spoken of authorising its fieldcommanders to deal with the alleged safe havens inside Pakistan.
White House released a document on Tuesday night indicating that Americancommanders in the region also had the authority to deal with allegedterrorist safe havens inside Pakistan.
“President Trump’s conditions-based South Asia strategy provides commanderswith the authority and resources needed to deny terrorists the safe haventhey seek in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” it stated. “President Trump ismaking clear to our allies that they cannot be America’s friend whilesupporting or condoning terror.”
The White House also mentioned an executive order, issued earlier thismonth, to suspend security aid to Pakistan, saying: “The president hassuspended security assistance to Pakistan, sending a long overdue messageto aid recipients that we expect them to fully join us in combatingterrorism.”