“We have certainly made it clear to Pakistan that we're willing to help in the wake of this attack should they want or need any,” Pentagon spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters during a briefing in Washington on Tuesday.
He added that Pakistan had so far not requested any assistance.
Kirby further said that there will be no change in the kind of relationship that the US wants to pursue with Pakistan as a result of Tuesday's attack.
His comments were echoed during the State Department's briefing where spokesperson Jen Psaki said that their contact with Pakistani government has been about the US' offer of assistance.
“Our conversations with Pakistan have been at all levels of the Pakistani government regarding the attack. And it's really been about our offer of assistance and our offer to continue working closely together to address these challenges.”
Common threat
Noting that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan still remains organised and capable of such acts, Kirby said that the US will continue working with Pakistan against them.
“This is a threat that the Pakistani people have been facing now for years. And we've long talked about the fact that it -- that it represents a common threat we [US and Pakistan] both face and share. And we -- one of the reasons why we've tried so hard to get the relationship with Pakistan onto solid footing -- and there's been ups and downs. There's been things we haven't agreed on. And there's certainly been tense moments in that relationship. But this attack today is a grim reminder that the threat is real, very real, and that the Pakistani people continue to suffer at the hands of that threat.”
He added that the Pakistani military has proven to be quite adept at dealing with the TTP, inflicting and suffering casualties in the process.
“We continue to want to and to pursue a good productive defense and security relationship with Pakistan.”
At the State Department, Psaki said that the US will continue working with the Pakistani government on counter-terrorism.
“Counter-terrorism is an integral part of our relationship, including in the Strategic Dialogue.”
She added that the message conveyed to both Afghanistan and Pakistan is that they should not have safe havens for terrorist organisations.
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Yes here is something tangible you can do. Take out Mullah Fazlullah and his gang of perverts in the next couple of days through a drone strike or commando mission and it would be the greatest ever PR coup for US in Pakistan.
@Sonya:
How about a simple - thanks for the offer. . Classic anti American blather - long on blather and short on substance - apparently everyone including the boogeyman is to blame for Pakistan's extremist - everyone but Pakistan.
If the US really wants to help, then it should not deny Pakistan the equipment it needs to fight the TTP. For example, Pakistan is still waiting for the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters it was supposed to receive years ago. Also it is high time to supply UCAVs to Pakistan, which are needed to undertake quick and accurate action against the TTP. You cannot deny Pakistan the tools required to fight this war, and then complain that Pakistan is not doing enough.
At the diploamtic level, the US needs to lean on India to stop stirring Pakistan's western border, as well as stop fomenting separatists in Pakistan.
@Rizkhan. Let me give you the name of one person who is working against Pakistani people. The name is Abdul Aziz, and he openly preaches his hatred in Islamabad's Lal Masjid. If you have not the courage to at least condemn him, please keep this America-bashing to yourself.
The biggest assistance US can give us by stop interfering in our matters and keep its CIA, Black Water and other agencies stop working against Pakistan. Now we wont tolerate it no more.
We will kill anyone who is working against Pakistani people.
Pakistan Army should be more focused in eliminating Taliban than against India.
the best help US can provide is to remove CIA network from Pakistan they have established in the last 10 years - and some more - stop India and Saudi Arabia interfering in Pakistan.
Time to get U. S. help in fighting this menace was when the ISAF was its peak in Afghanistan. Now that bulk of ISAF is gone or will be gone by Dec 31, I think its too late. We continue to reap what we have saw. I really do feel that we in Pakistan neither have the firepower, capacity nor the fiscal space to defeat this enemy. Sorry but things are looking really bleak.