WASHINGTON - In tacit acknowledgement of a trust deficit with Pakistan in the war on terrorism, the US on Tuesday said “operational security” prevented it from informing Islamabad about the airstrike against Taliban leader Mullah Mansour.
“Operational security trumps a need to inform other governments,” US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference in Washington.
He said: “The US would not get into the operational details of the strike against Mansour, except to say that these are very narrow windows in any case. It is not just with friends and allies or partners or whoever, but in any of these instances, it's absolutely vital to keep operational security.”
The US had been very clear in its interaction with Pakistan, which needed to do more to root out terrorists having safe havens on some of their territory, he said, adding Washington would continue to do that.
He continued the US had conveyed to the Pakistan before that they needed to pursue actively terrorist organisations that were using its soil to find refuge. “We've also said before that Pakistan is a country that, unfortunately, knows the effects of terrorism, the tragedy of terrorism. It's suffered multiple terrorist attacks, mass-casualty terrorist attacks. So it understands the stakes here.”
However, he maintained, the US would continue to work with Pakistan in a full-faith effort, give that country the required tools and capabilities to confront the threat.
Responding to a question, Toner said Mansour was carrying a fake Pakistani passport. The US does not have any clarity on his reported visits to Iran. “You know, our major concern is that a major threat to our military on the ground in Afghanistan has been removed from the battlefield.” (Pajhwok)