War on terror: US urged to provide equipment, enhance intelligence sharing

04 Aug, 2008

Pakistan has asked the United States to provide it modern equipment and enhance intelligence sharing to fight terrorism challenges more effectively along its Afghan border region, a US newspaper quoting Pakistani officials reported on Sunday.
Pakistan has asked for more intelligence sharing, training and equipment for its forces, including night-vision goggles and the latest technology for intercepting communications, an embassy official in Washington said according to the Los Angeles Times.
A senior Pakistani official reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to fight against terrorism in co-operation with the United States but also pointed out that "we also believe that there is more that the United States can do as well, and that we have asked it to do".
Pakistan's Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, confirmed to the newspaper that various proposals were discussed during Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's visit to Washington last week but he said that he could not talk about them in detail.
On Friday, Ambassador Haqqani told Charlie Rose News Show that Pakistan and the United States have agreed on a set of measures in tandem with one another to address their respective security concerns.
"The two governments have agreed upon a set of measures that both sides are going to take in tandem with one another to ensure that American concerns are allayed and Pakistan's concerns about its sovereignty and about civilian authority and control and its concerns relating to Afghanistan and India are all addressed together," he told the show.
According to the Times, the press attache' at the Pakistani embassy in Washington stated the two sides have agreed to take actions to enhance bilateral ties and successfully fight terrorism. "We are discussing and have agreed to take certain actions to strengthen relations between the two countries and to fight the war against terrorism more successfully so our mutual objectives could be achieved."

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