"We've been pretty clear for a long time... that the US policy is to put pressure on the Haqqani network," acting US State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell told journalists.
"That includes both the sanctions we have already disclosed, but also military pressure as well."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she will meet an obligation to decide by Sunday whether the Haqqani should be considered terrorists.
US lawmakers have pressed her to blacklist the group, but some US officials have warned such a move could further fray already fragile ties with Pakistan.
US officials have linked the Haqqani network to some of the boldest attacks in Afghanistan including a June assault on a hotel near Kabul that killed 18 people and a siege last year of the US embassy.
Clinton last week declined comment on which way she is leaning, but said the United States was already "putting steady pressure" on the Haqqani network.
"That is part of what our military does every single day along with our ISAF partners," she said, referring to the NATO-led force in Afghanistan.
"We are drying up their resources, we are targeting their military and intelligence personnel, we are pressing the Pakistanis to step up their own efforts," she said during a visit to the Cook Islands.
The State Department has designated certain members of the Haqqani network as terrorists but has resisted blacklisting the entire group.
The United States has slowly been rebuilding cooperation with Pakistan, badly damaged after US forces found and killed Osama bin Laden living last year near the military's main academy.
Technically, however, Clinton is only asked to declare whether the Haqqani network meets the criteria of a terrorist group and is not being forced to make an actual decision on the designation.
COMMENTS (5)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
-(1)1714116455-0/Heeramandireactions-(2)-(1)1714116455-0-270x192.webp)
1714024018-0/ModiLara-(1)1714024018-0-270x192.webp)
US themselves don't want to abandon their footprints, that's why they didn't declare this organization terrorist in last 11 years.
They don't want peace in our region, so will never make a whole-hearted effort.
they both have no other way beside building pressure on each other.if US declare haqqani net work as terrorist. that will suffer many issue including economy. pak have other option ie russia. but russia have no much doller as required for them.any how US will never do so as propaganda is launching in intl media.
Please Do That and also to ones in Afghanistan...
Declaring Haqqani net work as a terrorist group will further harm the fragile relations of the US with Pakistan and will force Pakistan to look toward Russia for improving relations. It will be difficult for the US taking such action against Haqqani's as this is the same group that was trained by them and fully used against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
This is the best chance for Pakistan to act responsibly and give up on these terrorists, they are nobody's friend. Terrorism,drug trafficking,kidnapping... are their business. They will never cede their business, once they are done in Afghanistan,they will help their Pakistani brothers, just to keep their business running. Help yourself ( Pakistan ) help us ( Afghanistan ).