Two new classified intelligence reports on the war in Afghanistan say there is a limited chance of success unless Pakistan hunts down insurgents operating from havens on its Afghan border, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. The National Intelligence Estimates offer a more negative assessment than a review of the US war strategy that the Obama administration is set to unveil on Thursday.
The intelligence reports - one on Afghanistan and one on Pakistan - say that although there has been progress in the war, Pakistan's unwillingness to shut down militant sanctuaries in its lawless tribal region remains a serious obstacle, The New York Times reported.
The White House said on Tuesday the war strategy review has determined that a troop increase led to important progress in the nine-year-old war which may permit some US soldiers to withdraw from Afghanistan next July. Obama ordered 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan a year ago with the goal of turning the tide against a resurgent Taliban.
The Times said the findings of the intelligence community were provided to some members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees last week and were described by a number of US officials who read the executive summaries. US military commanders and senior Pentagon officials have already criticised the reports as out of date and written by Washington analysts who have spent little time in the war zone, the newspaper said.
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