Jones and Panetta met President Asif Ali Zardari and "provided an update on the ongoing investigation into the Times Square terrorist incident", according to a joint statement released after the talks. The discovery of a crude bomb inside a parked car in crowded Times Square prompted an evacuation of the popular tourist spot and a massive manhunt that culminated in the arrest of Pakistani-born US citizen Faisal Shahzad.
Authorities have been interrogating Shahzad since his dramatic arrest at JFK Airport in New York, as his Dubai-bound plane was about to take off. He allegedly told interrogators that he visited Waziristan, in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border, for bomb-making training.
The case spotlighted the morass of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked groups holed up in Pakistan's wild border areas with Afghanistan, particularly North Waziristan, where commanders feel under US pressure to launch an offensive. Wednesday's statement made no mention of North Waziristan and Jones instead praised Pakistan's "excellent co-operation" and "tremendous sacrifice" in "efforts to combat extremists".
Pakistan fought major campaigns against home-grown Taliban last year in the north-western district of Swat and South Waziristan, but the New York plot has seen US officials call for more action. Pakistani security analysts and officials told AFP that the United States wants Islamabad to open a new front in North Waziristan.
Although there are army military bases in the tribal district, military commanders have warned that launching a new offensive in the region could detract from gains they say have been made in Swat and South Waziristan. Troops are now fighting Taliban who escaped from South Waziristan into Orakzai, where two soldiers and around 28 militants were killed during a bloody gunfight on Wednesday, according to security officials.
Although it is impossible to confirm casualty statistics independently in what is a closed military zone inaccessible to aid workers and journalists, the fighting underscored the enormity of the challenge facing Pakistan. "It will result in operation imbalance if the army moves troops in haste in North Waziristan. This situation will also help militants take advantage and re-group in areas re-gained by the army," said one security official.
"The Americans want to choke all routes for cross-border infiltration before taking decisive action in Afghanistan's Kandahar province." "Moreover, Pakistani troops are already over-committed and if the army goes into North Waziristan it will have to move some of its troops from the eastern border," the Pakistani security official said. "The Pakistan army holds the key to their (US) success or failure in Afghanistan. It is therefore in their interest to take Pakistan on board vis-à-vis any future strategic move," the official said.
BR reporter adds: US National Security Advisor General James L. Jones reiterated the United States' long-term commitment to the strategic partnership with Pakistan, including support for creating economic opportunities for the Pakistani people. General Jones expressed these views in a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari in the Presidency on Wednesday.
He was accompanied by CIA director Leon Panetta, US Ambassador Anne Patterson, and other senior officials. On the Pakistan side, those who attended the meeting included Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
At the end of two-day visit (May 18-19) of US delegation headed by National Security Advisor General James L. Jones, the discussions covered US-Pakistan relations, the security situation in the region, the shared terrorist threat, fighting extremism and the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue.
The parties agreed to continue government-to-government contacts and further senior-level engagement to advance their common interests and provide a better, more secure future to our people. The talks provided an opportunity to review progress on the many areas addressed in the recent strategic dialogue held in Washington.
Both sides expressed their commitment to strengthening ties across the broad on wide spectrum of issues including trade, economic growth and development. President Asif Ali Zardari said that militancy and terrorism was the common enemy and that the existing robust co-operation between the two countries must continue to fight the menace.
General Jones and CIA Director Panetta provided an update on the ongoing investigation into the Times Square terrorist incident. General Jones expressed appreciation for the excellent co-operation the United States is receiving from Pakistan as well as the tremendous sacrifice of the Pakistani military, law enforcement and people in their efforts to combat extremists.
The talks covered measures that both countries are, and will be, taking to confront the common threat they face from extremists and prevent potential attacks from occurring. Both parties acknowledged the extreme challenge of thwarting each and every plot and terrorist action, both sides pledged to intensify efforts, increase co-operation, and do everything possible to protect their citizens. President Zardari noted that Pakistan desires a long-term, multifaceted and durable relationship with the United States.