Talks with Pakistan on ground lines continue: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (PAN was to prevent the country from becoming an Al Qaeda safe haven again.

The US has made considerable progress in dismtalinng the terror network in Afghanistan, the Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt John Kirby told reporters during an off-camera news conference.

 “So any number of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan is a matter of concern. The idea is to be able to create a security environment there so that they can’t use Afghanistan as a safe haven,” he said.

Responding to reporters’ questions, Kirby said talks with Pakistan continued on reopening the ground lines of communication (GLOCs), which were closed after the November 26 incident in which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed. “GLOCs remain closed. We are pleased with the level of dialogue about this. Still working on it,” he said.

Kirby insisted that the Al Qaeda still has a safe haven inside Afghanistan. “They have a safe haven there. Safe haven does not necessarily require a long term presence, just the place like where they feel that they can go,” he said.

 “We do know that they continue to seek safe haven there in Afghanistan and … they are using it, which turned out to be not that safe. General (John) Allen (Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan) is focused on this issue and where and when we find them there we are going to take them out,” he said.

 “We continue to believe that the Taliban continue to facilitate safe havens to terrorists if they had the opportunity to do so,” Kirby said.

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