“We saw millions of citizens throughout the Middle East advance peaceful
public demands for change without any reference to al Qaeda’s incendiary
world view,” he said.
The report included statistics showing that the overall number of terrorist
attacks worldwide fell to 10,283 last year from 11,641 in 2010.
However, in Pakistan’s tribal regions, long a haven for al-Qaeda’s core, the
report said the group had forged close alliances with the Pakistan Taliban
and the Haqqani network.
“These alliances have at times provided the group with additional resources
and capabilities,” it said.
Islamabad has been under intense American pressure to take action against the
Haqqani network, which many in Washington believe is backed by elements of
Pakistan’s security services.
The group has been responsible for some of the most spectacular attacks on
international forces across the border in Afghanistan, including the
September assault on the US embassy and Nato compound in Kabul.
The report was released on the same day as the diplomat nominated to be
America’s next ambassador to Pakistan said that getting Islamabad to crack
down on the Haqqani network would be his “most urgent” responsibility.
“This will be a primary focus of my activities and diplomatic engagement with
Pakistanis, to encourage further measures against the Haqqani network,
further squeezing of the Haqqani network,” said Richard Olson during his
Senate confirmation hearing.
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