Optimistic to say Pakistan will target Haqqani Network: Petraeus

Says the Network remains focused on regaining influence in Afghan provinces previously controlled during Taliban rule.

WASHINGTON: It is optimistic to think that Pakistan might go after the Haqqani Network, Central Intelligence Agency Director General (retd) David Petraeus has said.

In a hearing on Thursday of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on worldwide threats in 2012, Petraeus said that the US needs to be cautious with Pakistan’s ability and willingness to “go after” the Haqqani Network and those Taliban leaders present in Balochistan, known as the Quetta Shura.

Responding to a question from the committee, the CIA director said that there were elements in Pakistan that enjoyed sanctuary, which in turn has caused problems for coalition and Afghan forces.

Acknowledging that cooperation with Pakistan continues in various forms, Petraeus said that Pakistan, as a partner, had “confronted a number of extremist organisations”, including the al Qaeda. He added that Pakistan had recently detained an IED expert in Pakistan, which he dubbed as a “significant step.” The US spy chief said that Pakistan has sustained heavy losses in acting against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and has tried to squeeze them.

At the hearing, Director for National Intelligence James Clapper said that Taliban leaders continue to enjoy a safe haven in Pakistan.

Congressman Mike Rogers, chairman of the committee, asked the CIA director to describe the Haqqani Network. Petraeus said that the Haqqani Network was a lethal organisation based in North Waziristan that was not likely to re-conciliate and had been implicated and involved in a number of important attacks on US forces in Afghanistan. He added that the Haqqani Network remains focused on regaining influence in provinces they had previously controlled during the Taliban reign, but there were indications that the group would like to be a bit more “transnational”. Petraeus added that Waziristan has a syndicate of criminal elements present, which includes the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban and elements of the al Qaeda.

Shadowing US Muslims

Meanwhile, Congressman Peter King has faulted the Associated Press news agency and The New York Times for its reportage on alleged links between the New York Police Department and the Central Intelligence Agency.

AP had published a series of stories since August, claiming that the NYPD dispatched undercover officers into Muslim neighbourhoods as part of a human mapping programme. Including in to New Jersey, supposedly outside NYPD jurisdictions. They were also alleged to have set up a student monitoring ring at Rutgers University.

King said the reports were disgraceful, irresponsible and based on lies.

US intelligence chiefs had previously testified before the Senate Intelligence committee on the same subject on Tuesday.

In response to another question, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller said that the FBI has conducted a review of instruction materials for its agents that had been used in the past decade, and less than one per cent had material that was anti-Muslim.