US 'unhappy' with Pakistan efforts against militants

White House assess­ment report voices critic­ism of Pak govt and army for not taking action agains­t al Qaeda.

A White House assessment report sent to the United States Congress has voiced criticism of the Pakistan Government and Military, stating that Pakistan was not willing to take action against al Qaeda and like minded terrorists.

The unclassified report, seen by the Wall Street Journal, says that the Pakistani Military avoids getting into direct conflict with the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda saying ‘it is as much a political choice as it is a reflection of an under-resourced military prioritizing its targets.’

US President Barack Obama recently told lawmakers that his Af-Pak strategy did not require any current changes, as the US stepped up drone attacks in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

The report also says that the Pakistan military does not engage fleeing Taliban and that it does not work on stabilizing an area once it has been cleared of militants.

The report is also critical of Pakistan President Asif Zardari, and more specifically of his trip to Europe at a time when Pakistan was hit by devastating floods.

President Zardari's decision to travel to Europe despite the floods exacerbated inter-party tensions, civil-military relations, and damaged his image in the domestic and international media.

While there are talks of ‘change’ in Pakistan’s political corridors, the reports also reveals of a drop in the public confidence of the civilian government and a growing confidence in the military.