WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says he is concerned by Pakistan’s military and intelligence community’s ties to “unsavory characters.”
But Obama says he is not inclined to cut off U.S. aid to Pakistan because he has a great desire to help the Pakistani people.
The president’s comments follow Adm. Mike Mullen’s claim that the Haqqani insurgent network acts as “a veritable arm” of Pakistan’s intelligence agency. While Obama did not endorse Mullen’s assertion, he did acknowledge that Pakistan engages with individuals the U.S. finds troubling.
However, Obama says Pakistan has been a valuable partner in U.S. efforts to go after al-Qaida and ensure that its operatives cannot attack the U.S.