“We are not hiding in caves for bounties to be set on finding us. I think
the US is frustrated because we are taking out countrywide protests against
the resumption of Nato supplies and drone strikes,” he told Al Jazeera.
The move, hailed by India’s foreign ministry as “sending a strong signal
to LeT”, is likely to put further strain on relations between the US
and Pakistan, who were forced into an awkward alliance in the aftermath of
the September 11 terrorist attacks.
It comes despite new US attempts to reset its troubled alliance with Pakistan,
with lowered expectations and fewer feuds after a disastrous 2011 that
brought ties close to breaking point.
A senior State Department official is due to arrive in Islamabad today as
Pakistani politicians continue to consider whether to allow Nato supply
convoys to resume using the country’s roads.
Recent weeks have brought a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of
international summits, as officials quietly try to mend the damage while the
world focuses on Syria, Iran and the Greek economic crisis.
A US official told The Daily Telegraph that relations had started to enter a
calmer period.
“The new form of the relationship is not about asking for what we really
want – but what is possible,” he said. “To stop coming with
big requests, but working together where it is politically appropriate for
both sides.”
The past year has been marked by a series of public rows and diplomatic
breakdowns. It hit a low point when US special forces launched a covert raid
to kill Osama bin Laden in May last year.
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