U.S. Ready to Help Pakistan Step-Up Anti-Terror Offensive: Kerry

Aamir Qureshi—AFP

Secretary of State says militant groups such as Pakistani Taliban pose threat to the world.

The United States is set to boost its security and intelligence cooperation with Pakistan to step up its offensive against Islamist militants, Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday.

“I emphasized that the U.S. is committed to deepening our security relationship with Pakistan in order to eliminate threats in the border area and elsewhere,” Kerry told reporters. He was addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan’s national security advisor Sartaj Aziz as the two countries held strategic talks on the direction of future ties.

In the wake of last month’s Taliban attack on a Peshawar school which killed 150 people, mostly children, Pakistan has moved against militant groups sheltering in its unruly tribal areas. “The tragedy of Dec. 16 is really a reminder of the serious risk of allowing extremists to find space, and be able to command that space and operate within it,” Kerry said.

He said all militant groups such as the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba “continue to pose a threat not just to Pakistan and its neighbors but also to the United States and the world.”

“Make no mistake the task is a difficult one and it is not done,” Kerry said. “We all have a responsibility to ensure that these extremists are no longer able to secure a foothold in this country or elsewhere.”